A Tale of Two Coasts: How Two States Link Water and Land Use Planning

most states water suppliers plan for future water demands; cities and counties plan for future land use. Seldom do the two meet. There is a growing perception that development projects are being approved without adequate water supplies. Recent droughts, increased demand for water to meet environmental needs, failure to develop additional water supplies, and continued population growth have raised the level of concern. As a result, many states are reexamining the link between land use and water supply planning. This article discusses how California and Florida are addressing this issue. The integration of water supply and land use planning involves two related issues: (1) Are existing and projected water supplies adequate to support new development? and (2) Will approval of new development have a significant adverse impact on current users or other water resources? Answering these questions and effectively linking water supply and land use planning requires an assessment of a number of technical, legal, and institutional issues. From a technical standpoint, land use and water supply planners must have sufficient information to evaluate current and future water supplies. For example, if a project will rely on groundwater as its principal water source, planners, developers, and reviewing agencies must have adequate data to calculate the safe yield of the basin from which water will be extracted. If a project will rely on a reservoir, planners, developers, and reviewing agencies will need an accurate assessment of the reservoir's reliabili-