| Throughout the western United States, rivers and streams are ecologically degraded due to dams, water diversions, and urbanization. At the same time, growth in population and urban centers continues to stress these finite resources. The combined facts of increasing and competing demands for water; the resource's limited nature; and, a growing realization that the environment also requires a share of the water are the conditions that inspired this thesis.; By examining the urban planning documents from two western cities, I explored how they are integrating their planning for future growth with the long-term supply of water to their rivers. Boulder Creek in Boulder, CO, has protected water rights for instream flow and is a valued asset in the community. The Santa Fe River, running dry through the city for the majority of the year, currently faces more of an uphill battle to sustainable management.; Despite such differences, review of the literature on integrating land and water management combined with insights gained from key informant interviews, led to the conclusion that there are several common challenges throughout the west that need to be addressed in order to restore and maintain the ecological integrity of important riparian areas. The need to adequately respond to these challenges has been recognized for decades, but many barriers still exist. Therefore, the recommendations provided in this document outline actions and policies to be taken at multiple levels of policy influence. One of the next steps should be a comprehensive analysis of how to most effectively plan for and implement real change in water management and land use planning. |
