ABSTRACT
Nevada and Utah are the two driest states in the US. Both states are experiencing exceptional droughts. Both states are listed in the top ten fastest-growing states in the US. The crown jewels of both states – Lake Mead and the Great Salt Lake – are reaching record low lake levels. Both states share the regional Great Basin Carbonate and Alluvial Aquifer System (GBCAAS) in the Great Basin. Both states have proposed water transfer megaprojects tapping the aquifer system over the past 30 years. Both Great Basin projects, either collectively or independently, could lead to a significant drawdown in groundwater levels along the shared state boundaries in the coming decades. Groundwater flow systems for both projects discharge to the Great Salt Lake, as well as host important groundwater-dependent ecosystems. The hydrogeology of the shared GBCAAS is complex. There are wide-ranging data gaps related to aquifer flow system characteristics and water rights. The nature and extent of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and related connections to spirituality for Native Americans, set the stage for the dueling experts and the need for supplemental tools to the Water Diplomacy Framework such as scientific mediation and pore space diplomacy. No decisions have been made on how to share groundwater stored, or the aquifer storage space, within the GBCAAS, setting the stage to experiment with new tools for decision-making and voluntary agreements to support the Water Diplomacy Framework.
