Drought: impact and lessons for U. S. water policy

President Carter initiated several efforts at new water resources policy as a result of the 1977 drought over much of the country. His effort to halt or scale down water projects, some already under construction, is still not resolved. The effort, while deemed politically inadvisable by many, is seen as an indication that vested interests and conventional approaches to water resources can be challenged. The drought's immediate impact on California agriculture was not as severe as had been forecast because of state water conservation measures that were adopted and implemented quickly and because of new well and pump investments to tap groundwater. While conservation is a viable long-term technique, groundwater is in danger of being undervalued and depleted by inefficient use.