Risk-Based Decision Support of Water Resource Management Alternatives

Enhancing public welfare through the deliberate management of water resources is vital for every society. Pollution, overuse, and consumption challenge a society's ability to develop and sustain water supplies for municipal, agricultural, industrial, and recreational use while protecting fisheries and wetlands. Water resource management decisions are complex and involve risk. This paper identifies a risk taxonomy to help managers identify where those risks are and their severity. It is presented in the context of the Susquehanna River Basin that spans three states in the United States, with management interests at the state, regional, and national levels.