Introductory Remarks
Stephen D. Parker, Director
Water Science and Technology Board
Washington, D.C.
The Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB) staff and I have worked quite hard for 10 years now as agents of the water community at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)/National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the National Research Council (NRC). The truth of the matter, however, is that it is an absolute pleasure to be in our position. The success of our program can be attributed to the support and tireless efforts of countless individuals and organizations. Hundreds of the world's experts serve the nation through our network. The federal agencies and their managers and scientists trust us with their thorniest issues, have provided funding in support of our work, and listen to our results. Agencies, universities, industries, and foundations make their people available for service on committees for the good of the nation. The management of the Academies and that of the NRC have been very supportive of the WSTB from the beginning. My staff and I express our appreciation for the opportunity to work with the federal agencies, states, foundations, and industry in the interest of improving decisions and programs concerning the nation's water resources. Sheila David, Jeanne Aquilino, and I have worked together since the board was founded in 1982.
While 10 years seems like a long time, it has passed quickly. I can recall an organizing meeting in early 1982, in the board room of the NAS building, listening to advocates of creative water management, systems analysis, risk assessment, adaptive management, applications of genetic engineering, conjunctive surface and ground water management, water marketing, the role of biology in water science, the importance of wetlands, and the general need for strengthening water sciences and technologies. These then imaginative and innovative topics became themes of the WSTB program during the 1980s, as we carried out studies related to water supplies, ice booms, ground water protection and management, clam safety and reservoir management, irrigation
drainage, water quality assessments, hydrologic science, erosion policy, and numerous other topics.
As we reflect on our current activities, we have what NAS/NRC Executive Officer Phil Smith calls a ''full service board''—that is, an assortment of scientific, technological, and management-oriented activities. Some of this work has come to us easily, but most has required proactivity on the part of the board's members and staff and often courage on the part of someone in the federal government!
As we proceed into the 1990s, I hope we can continue to build on our cumulative experiences and find even better approaches to solving problems and doing our work. I thank the four distinguished individuals who have served as chairs of the WSTB since 1982: Walter Lynn, 1982–1985; John Boland, 1985–1988; Mike Kavanaugh, 1988–1991; and Dan Okun, 1991 to the present. The chairs, board members, and committee members have helped make the program of the Water Science and Technology Board noted and respected, and they deserve much praise for volunteering their time and varied expertise to the board's program.