What is an IBT?

The Roman Aqueduct was one of society’s earliest solutions to alleviating water scarcity. The idea was simple — identify a new source of water, then build a canal to transport that water to where it is needed. Today this practice is known as an Interbasin Transfer (IBT), which refers to the act of moving water from one drainage basin to another. Modern IBTs often consist of a complex network of canals, tunnels, pipelines, and various other features. These modern systems vary in scale (local v. regional) and purpose (e.g, water supply, hydroelectric power generation). Modern IBTs can also occur “internally” where water in a municipal system is released into a different watershed from where it originated. 

Learn More about Roman Aqueducts

Why Study IBTs?

An IBT has the potential to provide substantial benefits to the receiving basin by increasing water supply for needs such as agricultural production, household/domestic uses, industrial uses, and energy production. However, the source basin may experience negative environmental impacts (e.g., stream/ecosystem degradation) and societal impacts (e.g., loss of opportunity). Furthermore, the landscape and its plant and animal inhabitants may experience harmful impacts during, and after, construction of the IBT infrastructure.  Clearly the negative impacts of IBTs are cause for great concern, but the benefits suggest that IBTs will remain an attractive option for alleviating water scarcity into the future.

Therefore, people need to learn more about what they are and how they function, their positive benefits and negative impacts, and what role they may play in the modern world as we strive to manage this limited resource in a more sustainable manner.

Support for this project was provided by an IGP grant from Auburn University and the AU College of Sciences and Mathematics.

*All contributions and comments are greatly appreciated.