ABSTRACT
I. Introduction ................................................................ 288 II. Future Threats and Impacts ..................................... 289 III. Case Studies ............................................................... 290
A. Okanagan Basin .................................................. 291 B. Poplar and Red Basins........................................ 294 C. Great Lakes Basin............................................... 300
IV. Conclusions ................................................................. 308 References............................................................................ 309
I. INTRODUCTION
The water resources of Canada and the United States have been heavily modified and intensively managed to serve a variety of human needs. Because most human activities and ecosystem health depend on reliable, adequate water supplies, droughts present a serious threat to water management. Large-area droughts heavily impact a wide range of watersensitive sectors, including agriculture, energy production, industry, municipalities, tourism and recreation, and aquatic ecosystems. They often stress local and regional water supplies by reducing streamflows, lowering lake and reservoir levels, and diminishing groundwater supplies (Bonsal et al., 2004).
