Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2012PA184B

Pennsylvania Water Resources Sustainability Surveys

Institute: Pennsylvania
Year Established: 2012 Start Date: 2012-03-01 End Date: 2014-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $50,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $100,446

Principal Investigators: Bryan Swistock, Elizabeth Boyer, Patricia Craig, Lysle Sherwin

Abstract: Concerns over water resources have been growing in Pennsylvania in recent years, in response to severe droughts and floods, a growing population, increasing demands for water, and the need to understand how changes in land use and climate will affect water quantity and quality. Such concerns led to the passage of the states Water Resources Planning Act and an initial state water plan. This and other activities have highlighted the vast diversity of water stakeholders in the state, each of whom has various perspectives on priorities for water. For example, Pennsylvania currently lacks a holistic approach to its water management. The states drinking water, water used for industrial and agricultural purposes, and lake and river water are monitored and managed by independent agencies and stakeholders. Questions remain about how much water were using relative to how much is being replenished. A primary objective of the PA-WRRC is to plan, facilitate, and conduct research to aid in the resolution of State and regional water problems. Toward those goals, a necessary first step is to articulate the breadth of water issues facing the state, and to prioritize them. Here, we will accomplish that via a set of surveys and white papers. The primary activity will be a broad survey of >5000 stakeholders to describe their perceptions and knowledge of water issues. This will engage a diversity of citizens, from various age groups, educational levels, land management settings (and environmental settings (e.g., urban vs rural), industrial setting (e.g., agriculture, natural gas drilling); and socio-economic status.