Integrated Water Availability in the Conterminous United States, 2010–20, Chapter F of U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Water Availability Assessment—2010–20

The following are the key points of this chapter: 

• At the national scale, water supply is much higher than human demand, but regions with lower water supply show smaller differences and greater potential for imbalances in supply relative to demand.
• Eight percent of the conterminous United States (CONUS) population (26.7 million people) live in areas with chronic stress from water-supply and use imbalances.
• The Southern High Plains, Texas, Central High Plains, and Mississippi Embayment hydrologic regions had the most widespread coverage of 12 digit hydrologic unit code (HUC12) watersheds with water stress from supply-use limitations.
• Several fish species of conservation concern have large proportions of their habitat range in areas with chronic imbalances between surface-water supply and human use.
• Streams with elevated nutrient concentrations greater than reference conditions were widespread across the CONUS.
• Limitation of ecological water availability occurred even in humid areas of the CONUS without water-supply and use imbalances, primarily because of flow alterations associated with urban areas, other land uses, and water-management and infrastructure.
• The California–Nevada, Southwest Desert, Central High Plains, Southern High Plains, Texas, Mississippi Embayment, and Florida hydrologic regions showed high or severe stress in multiple aspects of water availability.
• A high proportion of the population living in areas with water-availability limitations are considered to be socially vulnerable, although this is a small percentage of the total CONUS population.

Companion chapters:

U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Water Availability Assessment—2010–20, Chapter A

Water Supply in the Conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, Water Years 2010–20, Chapter B

Status of Water-Quality Conditions in the United States, 2010–20, Chapter C 

Water Use Across the Conterminous United States, Water Years 2010–20, Chapter D 

Climate Change and Future Water Availability in the United States, Chapter E