Water is power. The power to make the desert bloom. The power to create civilizations. The power to move products to distant markets. The power to industrialize economies. The power to create life. The power to destroy life. We; dam owners, consultants, and regulators, are the current stewards of a large segment of the world’s water resource infrastructure. Stewardship is defined by the Merriam- Webster dictionary as: The conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care. We are entrusted with the current responsibility for the operation of facilities that harness the power of water and make it available to provide varied benefits to society: domestic, industrial and agricultural water, flood control, hydroelectric power, navigation, recreational opportunities, and environmental enhancement. These same facilities also have a cost: monetary, risk of loss of life and property, displacement of populations and environmental degradation. This paper explores the author’s thoughts on what it means to be a steward of water resource infrastructure.
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