State water law reform: Identifying legal and managerial issues and options

Statutory and case law at the state level provide critical legal frameworks for water management. As many state governments struggle to improve effici ency in water management and resolve conflicts over water usage, they must continually assess the efficacy of their state water law. Most states have water laws that are disconnected and overlapping. This article presents a m ethodology to assess state water law and take first steps toward a comprehe nsive state water resources act. The methodology is driven by issues and co nflicts in water management. It synthesizes management and legal analyses i nto a process that incorporates the diverse perspectives of state water sta keholders. The results of the analysis are identification of management iss ues, profiles of state water law, and explorations of legal. options that a re available to the state government. Illinois is provided as a case study for this methodology.