Westward Ho! Thoughts on Proposed Diversions of Mississippi River Water

Mark Davis, Director, and Chris Dalbom, Program Manager of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70161, msdavis@tulane.edu

Water and the growth of the American West are joined at the hip and always have been. Climate change, drought, aquifer depletion and growing demands for water are challenging the growth and viability of western states such as Texas and the “surplus” flows of the Mississippi River are mighty tempting. One proposal to export Mississippi River water is already pending in Arkansas and it won’t likely be the last. Indeed, it is not even the first. This session will explore the emerging competition for these waters and what riparian states are doing—and might do—to deal with these new contenders for an increasingly prized waters.