Identifying Water Security Issues at the Local Level

Abstract

Water security has been traditionally thought to be an issue for developing countries. In the United States, the Clean Water Act has made water quality and watershed management increasingly relevant to community decision makers. However, the extent to which local stakeholders perceive and understand water scarcity and quality constraints in the United States remains uncertain. The reported research uses a series of focus groups to evaluate their efficacy and for learning from local beneficiaries about local water security concerns for mid-Michigan's Red Cedar River. In Michigan, it appears that the water security issue is water quality. The findings show that focus groups are effective data collection tools and that Michigan stakeholders recognize water security problems, causes, and potential solutions.