The movement of water from one basin (or watershed) to another, as a way to reduce the scarcity of water, is called inter-basin water transfer. The Great Lakes, holding 90% of the country’s supply of fresh water (~ 6,000,000,000,000,000 gallons) is a target for such strategies. While such programs may provide an economic boost to water-rich regions, there are concerns that inter-basin transfer could change the climate and hydrology of the watersheds contributing water and endanger plants and animals.

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The Coming Water Wars

Water pipelines in India where inter-basin transfer is a major topic of discussion.