{ "intro": "Water security requires dependable water at the right place, time, and quality. These briefs connect American West conditions and national groundwater reliance to a realistic comparison of conservation, reuse, storage, and additional supplies.", "briefs": [ { "id": "american-west", "kicker": "Regional perspective", "title": "The American West, basin by basin", "summary": "A broad planning region requires local water budgets. Follow water from mountain precipitation to farms, communities, streams, and underground storage.", "sections": [ { "title": "A region of connected systems", "paragraphs": [ "Our American West scope includes the western contiguous states and western Great Plains. River basins and aquifers cross state lines and overlap this region; their boundaries, climate, and demands differ. Each assessment should identify its actual basin and service area before comparing results.", "Snowpack, river flow, reservoir operations, and groundwater should be assessed together. Groundwater discharge sustains streams through dry periods, including in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Reservoir storage alone cannot describe the reliability of the wider system." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-colorado", "usgs-sustainability" ] }, { "title": "Recharge changes with place and season", "paragraphs": [ "A 2016 USGS synthesis of eight representative western aquifers found different recharge responses across locations and pathways. Reduced snowpack can affect mountain recharge; projected responses in southern aquifers were generally less favorable than in northern aquifers. These findings support basin-specific analysis, not one forecast for the entire West." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-west-recharge" ] }, { "title": "Different basins, different priorities", "paragraphs": [ "Use the regional view to connect risks, then evaluate supply and interventions at the basin and community scale. These are planning priorities, not a ranking of depletion or a newly calculated regional forecast." ], "bullets": [ "Colorado River Basin: connect mountain snowpack, reservoir deliveries, pumping, and groundwater discharge to streams.", "California: evaluate Central Valley storage and subsidence alongside local recharge; distinguish coastal salinity and water-quality constraints.", "Great Basin and Southwest: assess basin-specific pumping, mountain-front and channel recharge, springs, and environmental water needs.", "Pacific Northwest and Idaho: examine groundwater levels alongside snow-fed rivers, irrigation withdrawals, and seasonal supply.", "Western Great Plains: separate local High Plains well conditions and recharge pathways instead of applying one aquifer-wide exhaustion date." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-depletion", "usgs-west-recharge", "usgs-colorado" ] }, { "title": "A practical planning sequence", "paragraphs": [ "Establish a seasonal baseline before testing interventions. Coordinate surface-water and groundwater use through conjunctive management, with operating rules tied to local monitoring." ], "bullets": [ "Compare snowpack, precipitation, streamflow, reservoir storage, and well levels.", "Track demand, pumping, recharge, and groundwater contributions to rivers.", "Compare demand reduction, reuse, recharge, storage operations, and additional supplies by dependable local benefit, cost, and environmental effects." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-sustainability" ] } ] }, { "id": "groundwater-analysis", "kicker": "National reliance · Local evidence", "title": "Groundwater is more than an aquifer map", "summary": "Aquifers are geological formations that store and transmit groundwater. Groundwater analysis evaluates the water itself: its availability, movement, quality, and response to withdrawals.", "sections": [ { "title": "A national supply foundation", "paragraphs": [ "In USGS's 2015 national accounting, groundwater provided about 39% of public-supply withdrawals and approximately 48% of irrigation withdrawals. Nearly all self-supplied domestic water came from groundwater. These are historical benchmarks, not current measurements; they show why groundwater matters well beyond the West." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-public-2015", "usgs-use-2015", "usgs-surface-2015" ] }, { "title": "Measure the system, not just the formation", "paragraphs": [ "A groundwater budget connects recharge, withdrawals, storage change, and discharge to streams, springs, and wetlands. Sustainable use depends on these exchanges and on acceptable impacts, not simply annual pumping equaling estimated recharge.", "For a defined area and period, change in groundwater storage equals recharge plus net groundwater inflow and net surface-water exchange, minus pumping and groundwater evapotranspiration. Keep transfers and units consistent so river infiltration and irrigation returns are counted only once.", "Well levels show local conditions; translating them into storage volumes requires aquifer properties and spatial coverage. Combine local observations with basin models and regional satellite context, and publish coverage gaps and uncertainty." ], "bullets": [ "Use repeated well-level measurements and pumping records to track trends.", "Monitor water quality alongside quantity, including domestic-well vulnerability.", "Assess stream baseflow, land subsidence, and the time needed for recharge to reach usable storage." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-sustainability", "usgs-depletion" ] }, { "title": "Recharge has practical limits", "paragraphs": [ "Additional rainfall is not automatically recoverable groundwater. Recharge projects need suitable geology, available water, acceptable water quality, and monitoring that distinguishes infiltration from dependable supply. Set basin-specific thresholds and revise pumping and recharge operations as evidence changes." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-sustainability", "usgs-west-recharge" ] } ] }, { "id": "water-security-options", "kicker": "Investment priorities · American West and United States", "title": "Build dependable water security from a measured portfolio", "summary": "Start by repairing avoidable losses and reducing verified consumption. Compare reuse, recharge, and existing storage improvements next; add supply where a measured drought-year gap remains. The strongest portfolio depends on local water, infrastructure, rights, and affordability.", "comparison": [ { "name": "Loss and demand reduction", "priority": "Screen first", "costEnergy": "Often low operating energy; targeted repairs differ from expensive network replacement.", "reliability": "Durable where waste exists; savings require maintenance and verification.", "fit": "Homes, utilities, industry; audit actual use before selecting measures." }, { "name": "Agricultural consumption reduction", "priority": "High in irrigation basins", "costEnergy": "Variable implementation and compensation costs; can reduce pumping energy.", "reliability": "Depends on verified consumption reductions and enforceable limits.", "fit": "Crop, scheduling, and land-use changes with rural safeguards." }, { "name": "Water reuse", "priority": "Core candidate", "costEnergy": "Treatment and distribution can be substantial; match water quality to use.", "reliability": "Relatively stable feedstock, limited by wastewater availability and power.", "fit": "Nearby municipal, industrial, and agricultural demand; account for downstream effluent." }, { "name": "Groundwater quality and source protection", "priority": "Protect existing supply", "costEnergy": "Prevention can avoid treatment; contaminant-specific treatment and residual disposal vary.", "reliability": "Usable supply depends on both quality and sustainable pumping.", "fit": "Utilities and domestic wells; prioritize vulnerable households and sources." }, { "name": "Recharge and conjunctive management", "priority": "Core storage candidate", "costEnergy": "Infiltration may use modest energy; injection, recovery, and treatment add costs.", "reliability": "Requires recharge water, recoverable storage, and operating rules.", "fit": "Suitable geology with available wet-period water or treated reuse." }, { "name": "Reservoir operations and new storage", "priority": "Optimize existing assets first", "costEnergy": "Operational improvements differ from capital-intensive reservoirs; include evaporation and sedimentation.", "reliability": "Stored water buffers drought; empty capacity provides no supply.", "fit": "Basins with suitable inflows, flood safeguards, and environmental constraints." }, { "name": "Stormwater and rain capture", "priority": "Local supplement", "costEnergy": "Site-specific capture, treatment, storage, and delivery costs.", "reliability": "Rainfall-dependent; dry-year yield can be low without carryover storage.", "fit": "Urban runoff or building capture with supply, flood, and pollution benefits." }, { "name": "Watershed restoration", "priority": "Protect quality and resilience", "costEnergy": "Generally low operating energy; land, construction, and maintenance still matter.", "reliability": "Quality and habitat benefits; additional supply remains site-specific.", "fit": "Source watersheds, soils, wetlands, floodplains, and riparian corridors." }, { "name": "Transfers and interconnections", "priority": "Diversify where feasible", "costEnergy": "Distance, elevation, treatment, and capacity determine costs and pumping energy.", "reliability": "Requires donor supply during the same drought and secure delivery.", "fit": "Regional partnerships with rights, ecosystem, and donor-community protections." }, { "name": "Brackish desalination", "priority": "Target remaining supply gaps", "costEnergy": "Generally less pressure than seawater; inland concentrate disposal can dominate.", "reliability": "Less rain-dependent where pumping, source quality, and power remain sustainable.", "fit": "Accessible brackish sources with viable treatment and disposal." }, { "name": "Seawater desalination", "priority": "Target coastal firm supply", "costEnergy": "High capital and energy requirements; inland delivery adds expense.", "reliability": "Large source volume; requires resilient power, intake, and treatment.", "fit": "Coastal demand with acceptable intake and brine impacts." }, { "name": "Cloud seeding", "priority": "Evaluated supplement", "costEnergy": "Operating cost alone cannot establish cost per dependable delivered acre-foot.", "reliability": "Suitable clouds required; attributable precipitation and usable yield are uncertain.", "fit": "Bounded local trials with independent evaluation and monitoring." }, { "name": "Atmospheric harvesting and emergency water", "priority": "Niche and contingency", "costEnergy": "Air-water condensation can require substantial energy; recurring delivery logistics are costly.", "reliability": "Air-water yield depends on humidity and temperature; emergency deliveries require functioning logistics.", "fit": "Essential drinking needs, remote sites, outages, and temporary shortages." } ], "sections": [ { "title": "How to read the comparison", "paragraphs": [ "The comparison is a planning synthesis, not a national price ranking. Each option maps to the assessment below. Local feasibility can change its priority. Neither a technology list nor national averages demonstrate that enough water will reach every community.", "Define the basin, service area, seasonal shortage, and environmental obligations first. Compare dependable delivered supply or verified net demand reduction. Storage moves availability through time; transfers move it through space. Neither creates water. Protect source-water rights, ecosystems, and downstream users throughout." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-budget", "epa-reuse", "usbr-transfers" ] }, { "title": "Loss and demand reduction", "paragraphs": [ "Meter and audit before investing. Target household and utility leaks, efficient fixtures, industrial process redesign, and avoidable outdoor consumption. These measures often reduce treatment and pumping needs, but large pipe replacements require a separate asset-management case.", "EPA estimates household leaks waste nearly one trillion gallons annually nationwide. This is household leakage, not a utility-network loss estimate. Track the actual reduction and maintain repairs; the remaining opportunity shrinks as systems improve." ], "sourceIds": [ "epa-leaks", "epa-work" ] }, { "title": "Agricultural consumption reduction", "paragraphs": [ "In irrigation-dominated basins, scheduling, suitable deficit irrigation, crop changes, and compensated temporary fallowing merit early comparison. Application efficiency can lower pumping while leaving basin consumption unchanged: reduced return flows or expanded production can offset apparent savings.", "Verify evapotranspiration and net basin savings rather than crediting every reduction in withdrawals. Pair investments with enforceable consumption or pumping limits. Protect farm income, food production, and rural communities." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-irrigation", "usda-irrigation" ] }, { "title": "Water reuse", "paragraphs": [ "Wastewater can support a relatively stable local supply for industry, irrigation, or appropriately treated drinking water. Match treatment and distribution to intended use. Advanced treatment, separate pipes, and concentrate disposal may require substantial capital and energy.", "Account for effluent that currently supports downstream users or ecosystems. Available wastewater can fall as upstream consumption falls. Evaluate public-health controls, operator capacity, power resilience, and dependable dry-year output." ], "sourceIds": [ "epa-reuse", "epa-reuse-compendium" ] }, { "title": "Groundwater quality and source protection", "paragraphs": [ "Protecting wellheads and contributing areas can preserve usable supply and avoid costly contamination. Assess contaminants, treatment needs, residual disposal, and monitoring alongside groundwater levels and pumping. Treatment makes existing water usable; it does not replenish depleted storage.", "Include domestic wells and small systems in the assessment. Test affordability, access to treatment, and assistance for vulnerable households. Quality, sustainable quantity, and delivery capability must all remain adequate." ], "sourceIds": [ "epa-source", "usgs-budget" ] }, { "title": "Recharge and conjunctive management", "paragraphs": [ "Bank available wet-period water, stormwater, or treated reuse for later recovery; coordinate surface-water use and pumping. Recharge depends on a real source and suitable geology. Test infiltration, recoverability, clogging, geochemical changes, and effects on nearby wells and streams.", "Basin infiltration and injection have different treatment and energy requirements. Credit only recoverable water at the needed location and time, with rights and water quality secured. Meter withdrawals, enforce pumping limits, and set triggers for declining levels, subsidence, or stream impacts; recharge cannot offset unrestricted depletion." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-recharge", "usgs-asr-quality" ] }, { "title": "Reservoir operations and new storage", "paragraphs": [ "Screen forecast-informed operations and existing infrastructure improvements before new construction. More flexible retention requires credible forecasts and flood-safety safeguards, while respecting environmental flows and dam constraints.", "New reservoirs require suitable inflows, major capital, permitting, and long delivery times. Include evaporation, sedimentation, and dry-year refill in appraisal. Capacity is useful only when water is available to fill it." ], "sourceIds": [ "noaa-firo", "usbr-storage", "usbr-feasibility", "usbr-sediment" ] }, { "title": "Stormwater and rain capture", "paragraphs": [ "Capture can combine water supply with flood and pollution benefits. Building-scale rain collection and larger runoff systems need appropriate treatment, storage, and permitted end uses. Rainfall timing and drought limit dependable yield.", "Evaluate pollutants, infiltration constraints, downstream flow needs, and delivery costs. Value multiple benefits explicitly while keeping the dependable supply estimate separate." ], "sourceIds": [ "epa-stormwater" ] }, { "title": "Watershed restoration", "paragraphs": [ "Protect soils, wetlands, floodplains, and riparian corridors to improve water quality, infiltration, habitat, and flood resilience. Operating energy is often limited, but land, construction, and continuing maintenance have costs.", "Do not assume restoration increases usable runoff everywhere. Vegetation also consumes water; quantify local effects and treat unverified additional yield as uncertain." ], "sourceIds": [ "epa-nature", "epa-green" ] }, { "title": "Transfers and interconnections", "paragraphs": [ "Interconnections and agreements can diversify access and bridge outages. Dependability requires delivery capacity, legal rights, and a donor source with water during the same drought. Distance, elevation, and treatment shape cost and energy.", "Examine donor-community, groundwater, and ecosystem effects. A transfer reallocates existing water; do not claim new basin supply or assume neighboring drought risks are independent." ], "sourceIds": [ "usbr-transfers", "epa-emergency" ] }, { "title": "Brackish desalination", "paragraphs": [ "Brackish reverse osmosis generally needs less pressure than seawater treatment. It can provide less rain-dependent supply where the source, power, and disposal remain secure.", "Inland concentrate management and sustainable groundwater pumping can outweigh the pressure advantage. Characterize source salinity and storage trends, treatment recovery, disposal capacity, and delivery before claiming firm yield." ], "sourceIds": [ "doe-desal" ] }, { "title": "Seawater desalination", "paragraphs": [ "Seawater offers a large coastal source with high treatment energy and capital requirements. Secure resilient power and evaluate intake impacts, brine management, and coastal delivery.", "Moving product water inland adds pumping and infrastructure costs. Compare it with local alternatives for the remaining dependable supply gap, including lifecycle affordability and who bears the costs." ], "sourceIds": [ "doe-desal", "doe-security" ] }, { "title": "Cloud seeding", "paragraphs": [ "GAO's 2024 review found estimated precipitation increases of 0–20% across studies, with substantial evaluation limitations. This range is not guaranteed supply or a groundwater-recharge estimate. Suitable clouds are required.", "Keep precipitation attribution separate from runoff, recharge, and delivered water. Use independent evaluation and environmental monitoring. Operational spending alone cannot establish an attractive cost per dependable acre-foot when usable yield remains uncertain." ], "sourceIds": [ "gao-seeding" ] }, { "title": "Atmospheric harvesting and emergency water", "paragraphs": [ "Atmospheric water units may support remote or emergency drinking needs, but condensation can require substantial energy and performs poorly in dry or cold air. Require water-quality controls and site-specific output tests.", "Tankers, packaged water, temporary treatment, and mutual aid protect essential needs during failures. Maintain contingency plans and exercises. Their logistics and scale make recurring emergency delivery a poor substitute for permanent regional supply." ], "sourceIds": [ "epa-atmospheric", "epa-emergency" ] }, { "title": "Appraise the portfolio before committing", "paragraphs": [ "Use the same baseline and drought scenarios for competing portfolios. A project earns priority by reducing shortages at acceptable lifecycle cost, with environmental obligations and household affordability maintained." ], "bullets": [ "Calculate levelized lifecycle dollars per dependable dry-year acre-foot, including construction, treatment, energy, delivery, operations, maintenance, disposal, and permitting.", "Report energy in kWh per acre-foot and performance under power disruption.", "Specify delivered location, required quality, seasonal timing, build time, and dry-year yield uncertainty.", "Measure reduced shortages and verified net consumption reductions; subtract lost downstream return flows and count each water benefit once.", "Test rights, ecosystems, rural affordability, operator capacity, and monitoring thresholds before selecting the portfolio." ], "sourceIds": [ "usgs-budget", "epa-reuse-compendium", "epa-emergency", "usbr-feasibility" ] } ] } ], "sources": [ { "id": "usgs-sustainability", "title": "USGS · Sustainability of Ground-Water Resources", "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1186/", "date": "1999", "kind": "Foundational hydrology" }, { "id": "usgs-west-recharge", "title": "USGS · Climate change and western groundwater recharge", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/publications/implications-projected-climate-change-groundwater-recharge-western-united-states", "date": "2016", "kind": "Research synthesis" }, { "id": "usgs-colorado", "title": "USGS · Groundwater flow to the Colorado River", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/groundwater-flow-colorado-river-may-decline-a-third-over-next-30-years", "date": "2021-10-28", "kind": "Scenario study context" }, { "id": "usgs-public-2015", "title": "USGS · Public Supply Water Use", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/public-supply-water-use", "date": "2019-03-01 · 2015 data", "kind": "National water-use accounting" }, { "id": "usgs-use-2015", "title": "USGS · Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2015", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/publications/estimated-use-water-united-states-2015", "date": "2018 · 2015 data", "kind": "National water-use accounting" }, { "id": "usgs-surface-2015", "title": "USGS · Surface Water Use in the United States", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/surface-water-use-united-states", "date": "2018 · 2015 data", "kind": "National water-use context" }, { "id": "gao-seeding", "title": "GAO · Cloud Seeding Technology", "url": "https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107328", "date": "Published 2024-12-19; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Independent technology assessment" }, { "id": "usgs-depletion", "title": "USGS · Groundwater decline and depletion", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/groundwater-decline-and-depletion", "date": "Foundational overview · checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Groundwater impacts" }, { "id": "usgs-budget", "title": "USGS · Sustainability of Ground-Water Resources", "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1186/", "date": "Published 1999; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Foundational water-budget guidance" }, { "id": "epa-leaks", "title": "EPA · Fix a Leak Week", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week", "date": "2026 campaign page; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Household leak estimate" }, { "id": "epa-work", "title": "EPA · WaterSense at Work", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-02/documents/watersense-at-work_final_508c3.pdf", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Commercial water-efficiency guidance" }, { "id": "usgs-irrigation", "title": "USGS · Irrigation Water Use", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/irrigation-water-use", "date": "Page dated 2026-08-17; estimates for 2020; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Modeled water-use accounting" }, { "id": "usda-irrigation", "title": "USDA ERS · Irrigation water-use economics", "url": "https://ers.usda.gov/sites/default/files/_laserfiche/publications/41964/30287_irrigationwater.pdf?v=88135", "date": "Historical report; publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Irrigation mechanisms and economic tradeoffs" }, { "id": "epa-reuse", "title": "EPA · Potable Water Reuse and Drinking Water", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/potable-water-reuse-and-drinking-water", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Treatment and public-health guidance" }, { "id": "epa-reuse-compendium", "title": "EPA · Potable Reuse Compendium", "url": "https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P100TNCB.TXT", "date": "Published 2017; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Reuse planning guidance" }, { "id": "epa-source", "title": "EPA · Basic Information about Source Water Protection", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/basic-information-about-source-water-protection", "date": "Updated 2026-01-13; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Source-water protection guidance" }, { "id": "usgs-recharge", "title": "USGS · Artificial recharge feasibility considerations", "url": "https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/pubs/ofr0289/crg_feasibility.htm", "date": "Published 2002; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Recharge feasibility guidance" }, { "id": "usgs-asr-quality", "title": "USGS · Aquifer storage and recovery water-quality effects", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/publications/effects-aquifer-storage-and-recovery-activities-water-quality-little-arkansas-river", "date": "Published 2016; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Site-specific water-quality study" }, { "id": "noaa-firo", "title": "NOAA · Western water-prediction action plan", "url": "https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/federal-action-plan-focused-on-improving-water-prediction-for-western-us", "date": "Published 2019; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Forecast-informed operations context" }, { "id": "usbr-storage", "title": "Bureau of Reclamation · Reservoir Operation Pilots", "url": "https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/pilots/studies.html", "date": "Program page; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Reservoir operations and drought context" }, { "id": "epa-stormwater", "title": "EPA · Capturing Stormwater as Source Water for Reuse", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/waterreuse/capturing-stormwater-source-water-reuse-resources", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Stormwater reuse resources" }, { "id": "epa-nature", "title": "EPA · Water Reuse and Nature-Based Solutions", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/waterreuse/water-reuse-and-nature-based-solutions", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Nature-based planning resources" }, { "id": "epa-green", "title": "EPA · Environmental Benefits of Green Infrastructure", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/environmental-benefits-green-infrastructure", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Environmental process guidance" }, { "id": "usbr-transfers", "title": "Bureau of Reclamation · Water Transfers", "url": "https://www.usbr.gov/mp/water-transfer/", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Transfer program and review context" }, { "id": "doe-desal", "title": "Department of Energy · Desalination Basics", "url": "https://www.energy.gov/cmei/ito/desalination-basics", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Desalination process guidance" }, { "id": "doe-security", "title": "Department of Energy · Water Security Grand Challenge, Goal 1", "url": "https://www.energy.gov/water-security-grand-challenge/goal-1-water-security-grand-challenge", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Desalination research context" }, { "id": "epa-atmospheric", "title": "EPA · Atmospheric Water Generation Technical Brief", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-11/documents/awg_technical_brief_final_05nov19.pdf", "date": "Published 2019-11; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Historical technology assessment" }, { "id": "epa-emergency", "title": "EPA · Emergency Drinking Water Supply Guidance", "url": "https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/emergency-drinking-water-supply-guidance", "date": "Publication date not established here; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Emergency supply planning" }, { "id": "usbr-feasibility", "title": "Bureau of Reclamation · Storage Feasibility Review", "url": "https://www.usbr.gov/recman/temporary_releases/cmptrmr-127.pdf", "date": "Issued January 2022; revised January 2026; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Storage feasibility and environmental review guidance" }, { "id": "usbr-sediment", "title": "Bureau of Reclamation · Reservoir Sedimentation Monitoring Plans", "url": "https://www.usbr.gov/tsc/techreferences/reservoir/GuidesForDevReservoirSedimentationMonitoringPlans_09-2021_508.pdf", "date": "Published September 2021; checked 2026-10-06", "kind": "Storage loss and monitoring guidance" } ] }