Finding water for growing urban areas and agricultural use is a major problem in most regions. This site provides the user with the opportunity to examine many of the options available to communities to expand their water resources base, as well as the pros and cons of each option. Specifically, the activity focuses on the following options: dam a river and create a reservoir to store water, dig more ... Full description.

Water rights are used to allocate water in an organized and systematic manner. In this activity, students will learn the categories of water rights, understand their historical aspects, and understand why water rights are needed. Extension activities are also provided. Full description.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, throught the Bureau of Reclamation, provides this website to assist Native Americas with water rights and policy information and support. The site provides a history of the program, news updates on policy issues, a listing of the programs and activities offered through NAAO, a library, and information on their water operations. The site also offers a site index, ... Full description.

This page presents a narrative history of the Colorado River Compact, which has provided the management framework for this natural resource since 1922. Full description.

The database includes 150 water related treaties and 39 US compacts. The International Treaties and Compacts section is searchable by nation, basin, issues, conflict resolution mechanisms, non-water linkages, and date. US Compacts are searchable by state, basin, focus and date. For all treaties or compacts there is a summary of the agreement, the parties involved, allocations if applicable and other ... Full description.

This USGS site contains very useful descriptions about many aspects of ground water. The major topics include Ground Water, How Ground Water Occurs, Quality of Ground Water, Appraising the Nation's Ground-Water Resources, and a Glossary. This is a non-technical site, designed for use by the general public. Several charts and diagrams are also included in this site. Full description.

This Oregon State University site offers in-depth information on groundwater including: human impacts, protection, contamination, regulations, agencies, community action, and community stewardship. Although some information, such as how the geology of Oregon affects groundwater, is specific to that state much of the information is transferable to other locations. Full description.

This website provides information on international water law and policy. The International Water Law Project offers full text of many international and regional agreements, declarations and resolutions. Regional documents are organized by continent and then in many cases by waterway to reflect agreements for a particular river basin. The case law section provides examples from the Permanent Court ... Full description.

This set of introductory materials outlines the basic concepts of groundwater and hydrology. Graphics with accompanying definitions explain basic hydrologic terms such as aquifer, recharge, and discharge. There are also news articles, a reading list, a questionnaire, and a quiz. Full description.

This site is a US Global Change Research Program Seminar, dated 23 November 1998. It consists of a series or reports that help students to understand how water has been used to transform desert regions into productive and livable environments. Full description.