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Changes in surface or groundwater management influence water use patterns as well as the economic value and sustainability of all water uses. In water-scarce regions, programs that establish environmental flows usually involve reallocating water from another productive use. Few peer-reviewed papers to date have investigated impacts on system-wide economic performance resulting from environmental flow regimes. This work presents an original approach to address that gap by developing and applying a basin-scale hydroeconomic optimization model of North America's Middle Rio Grande Basin to explore impacts of environmental pulse flows on the region's economy and water stocks. The model accounts for surface and groundwater storage, irrigation, urban, recreational, and environmental demands; surface water inflows under various climate scenarios; groundwater pumping and recharge; substitute water prices; crop water use; evaporation; as well as institutional constraints governing water use. Results show that climate change, in the form of highly variable inflows, has an impact on the total and marginal cost of implementing environmental pulse flows, amplified by the conjunctive nature of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the evolution of bioretention systems, a promising at-source storm-water best management practice. The introduction of bioretention systems in the 1990s by Prince George’s County, Md. is examined along with the motivations behind the development of the systems. A summary of the research findings on the performance of bioretention systems is provided including proposed design modifications to improve the field performance. Also included is an overview of past and current bioretention design guidelines in North America, as well as a discussion of issues surrounding the public adoption and implementation of bioretention systems. Potential alternative uses for the systems are highlighted and a review of bioretention modeling work is provided. Finally, the paper outlines research needs and anticipated future work necessary to bring about the widespread use of bioretention systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]