Benefits of Southern Forests for Drinking Water
| Authors: | Peter V. Caldwell, Katherine L. Martin, Justin S. Baker, Arpita Nehra, Elly T. Gay, Sagarika Rath, Travis Warziniack, Jennifer Costanza, Gregory E. Frey, Christopher Mihiar, Richard H. Manner, Stacy A. C. Nelson, James Vose, Raghavan Srinivasan |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Type: | General Technical Report |
| Station: | Southern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.2737/SRS-GTR-283 |
| Source: | USDA Forest Service |
Abstract
Millions of people depend on forests for clean and reliable drinking water supplies. However, land-use change is threatening the ability of forested lands to provide this ecosystem service. Policymakers, water utilities, and land managers need information that links forests, water quantity and quality, and Public Water Systems (PWSs) so that they can make informed decisions regarding water treatment infrastructure investments as well as land use, forest conservation programs, and forest management in critical water supply watersheds. This project used a combination of data synthesis, hydrologic and economic modeling, and literature review to quantify the benefits of forests in the South for drinking water and to provide data and tools that could contribute to the development of water-related ecosystem service markets in the future. Results described in this report provide new and timely evidence across a large, forested region that maintaining or expanding forests can support higher water quality, enhance the resilience of drinking water supplies, and reduce drinking water treatment costs.
Story map and mapping tools: Benefits of southern forests for drinking water