I am taking engineering 101 this semester so I know that the definition of engineering encompasses many different sections like chemical, structural and electrical, applying science to actual use. From this course specifically we have been discussing civil engineering, applying science and math to buildings and waterways and or systems. It has been really interesting to see the structures and systems from the past, and discussing how sophisticated some of them were, still people question how, without modern day tools, these structures were built and still standing. Civil engineering has obviously been the theme for the majority of our modules so far. Really the only module that did not involve engineering was the module on Thanksgiving. Discussing the significance of the size and design of the bridges especially for the era that they were built in. The same goes for the module on the Aztecs and the incredible structures they were capable of building with no present day architectural tools. Now moving to talking about the sophisticated irrigation systems that the Hohokam built, still encompassing civil engineering.
Water Rights
For other areas of the United States, the appropriation doctrine is followed to determine water rights. This doctrine states that who ever first puts the water to beneficial use has the water rights. Tribal water rights do not fall under the appropriation doctrine or riparian system. The system that is used for tribal water rights was outlined in Winters v. United States. When American Indian reservations were created, they were created for the intent to allow Native American settlements to become self-sustaining. This would imply the need for water for areas such as farming. In Winters v. United States this was determined, thus determining that the water rights were the tribes.
With the purchase of land in 1853 and the clear division that was made between the United States and Mexico the Tohono O’ odham lost land that was given to them in the settlements. With that they began to fight for their farmlands with American ranchers and settlers. In 1909 president Taft, convinced that the San Lucy district had to much land, took more then half of it and restored the land to public domain. Taking even more of the reservations ability to access the water they needed to be sufficient. Into the 1980s the reservation was fighting for water rights against the city of Tucson, they could not compete with Tucson’s continual purchase of farmlands to secure their water rights. The city was literally sucking the land dry, leaving the O’ odham farmers without water, thus losing their jobs. The tribe attorneys discovered the Winters v. United States decision and thus returned water rights.
For compensation for all of these years without water rights they were promised 37,000 acre-feet of water annually from the Central Arizona project and another 28,000 acre feet annually from another water source. Totaling 65,000 annually, US water management estimates about 1 acre-foot of water per average suburban household annually. The census for the reservation in 2000 was 8,376 persons. An example to show the amount of water the reservation might use for agriculture would be that 123 acre feet of water is used annually to water 160 acre dairy farm with 2,000 cows.
I don’t think they have been compensated properly, I don’t think it is about providing the reservation with more than enough water. The water is not going to fix all of the problems it created years and years ago. I think that both the waters rights and the reservation in general created social problems within the reservation and its society. Legally speaking one could maybe say that the reservation has been compensated enough but I don’t not think that ethically they have been. On that same note I don’t know how they could be compensated to the point of changing the social and economically effects it had.
Water Woes
If I could I would travel back in time and talk to the leaders in Turkey. I would begin by explaining the current situation we are in. Turkey currently only has 1,600 cubic meters of drinkable water per year per person. Compared to countries considered water rich who have 8,000-10,000 cubic meters of drinkable water per person per year. It is estimated that this will decline to 1,000 cubic meters of drinkable water by 2023. Though in comparison to other Middle Eastern countries that have an average of 900 cubic meters of drinkable water per person per year, Turkey is water rich.
The blame is not fully placed on Turkey as a government but also on climate change. The problem is a combination of the governmental planning, societal growth and climate change. Urbanization and industrialization is part of the problem when it comes to global warming and climate change so the problem is almost complete circle. In 2014 winter rainfall in Turkey had only reached one third of the normal levels.
As the population grows in Turkey so does the amount of space needed to live. Urbanization has taken over wetlands, forests, fields and other areas for water resources. But as the population grows, so does the amount of water needed.
Re-routing water from sources such as the Melen river could be a possibility but not a sustainable one. This would just drain another ecosystem of its resources. Recycling water could potentially increase water but people and the government would need to be trained properly on this for the safety of the population. I think in a government like Turkey, still becoming industrialized and urbanized it would be hard to implement such things like green habits such as recycling water because they are so far from that point as a society.
I would want to have the policies that were implemented at the specific time I was referencing. Not only the policies on water usage, and or resources, but also any policies for the environment or policies that had visible harmful effects on the environment. I would want to know specifics on where the government and society are at in comparison to countries that are implementing policies that are fighting climate change. I would also want to know how surround countries are affecting the water resources in the specific country, Turkey if I continued with this as a starting point. I think I would be able to find some of this information through database and research articles. Also since most of the information is government related there should be records of most of it.