Water management is a very broad term that pertains to the design and deployment of planning approaches to access and supply water. The term encompasses the planning and provision of water quantity (adequate volume of supply), water quality (safety of source), and also flood protection. Originally the term implied provision of water only for people, but more recently it has begun to [Page 3071]incorporate adequate supply and quality for the natural environment—namely, wildlife and its habitat. Water is essential for all life, and an increasing number of locations encounter either water quantity or quality concerns. This entry discusses water quantity, the philosophies of managing water quantity in the United States, water quality, flood protection, and water management through good governance.

While more of Earth's surface is ...