The role of reservoirs in sustainable use of the planet

Reservoirs, as mixtures of natural and human-made systems, are useful as indicators of sustainability. Various aspects of reservoir management, cast in a sustainability context, are discussed, including natural capitalism, industrial ecology, ecological health, and delivery of ecosystem services. Consideration of the entire drainage basin, chemical stresses, the hydrological cycle, and balancing short-term vs. long-term and societal vs. ecological values also are examined in a sustainability context.