Season 5, Episode 1: Why the U.S. Needs a New National Water Strategy with Dr. Newsha Ajami and Dr. Martin Doyle (Part 1)
Dr, Newsha Ajami
Dr. Martin Doyle
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It’s been 75 years since the United States released its first and only national water strategy. In this episode, John talks with Dr. Newsha Ajami of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Dr. Martin Doyle of Duke University about why that original plan mattered, what it accomplished, and why today’s challenges call for a new approach. They explore the historical context of the 1951 plan, the issues it identified that remain relevant today, and how political boundaries, fragmented agencies, and modern pressures like groundwater depletion and climate change make a new national strategy essential.
“We have come a long way, obviously, since this document has been written. We are facing totally different challenges as we faced before. ”
Key Topics
What the 1951 National Water Strategy Tried to Solve: Martin explains the historical context: post-Depression expansion, public works momentum, and the foresight behind coordinated federal action and data collection.
Enduring Challenges From the Original Plan: John highlights how issues identified in 1951, like the water-energy nexus and the importance of linking land and water, are still central research themes today.
Why a Modern Strategy Is Needed Now: Newsha describes how today’s challenges differ: aging infrastructure, groundwater depletion, climate-driven extremes, and the need for guiding principles that prevent unintended consequences.
Fragmentation Across Federal Agencies: Newsha details how water responsibilities are split among EPA, USGS, NASA, NOAA, DOE, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Army Corps, creating overlaps, gaps, and misaligned funding.
The Role of States in Water Governance: Martin argues that states may be the primary beneficiaries of a national strategy, especially as federal leadership on environmental issues shifts.
Revisiting Natural vs. Political Boundaries: The group discusses why ignoring hydrologic boundaries still creates significant management problems and why this must be addressed in any future plan.
Links to Relevant Studies and Resources:
Martin referenced the “308 studies,” which were foundational river-basin assessments that informed mid-century federal water planning. Learn more about the 308 Report Series here
Newsha mentions different entities that manage water:
the National Weather Service manages hydrological forecasting
the Army Corps of Engineers manages infrastructure related to water management
The Bureau of Reclamation’s manages water projects and basin studies. Learn more about their Basin Studies Program.
“That was kind of the vision that they laid out, and it was incredibly foresightful for the types of things to be considered, for the types of different branches of natural sciences and engineering that were going be pulled into it. It’s a pretty extraordinary document.”
Transcript
Coming soon.