The broad categories of environment, policy, hydrology and economics are related. For instance:

• A constant concern for environmentalists is getting water dedicated to ecosystem purposes. The economic principles of market failure explain why this is hard.

• The policy question of pricing mechanisms must be analyzed looking at economic and environmental considerations.

• The administrative question of who operates the accounting system depends on considerations of Idaho state law, Bureau of Reclamation policy, and other federal law considerations.

• The administrative questions of what are deposits, withdrawals, and accounted units depend on the hydrologic ability to assess when and where the benefits of recharge or mitigation occur.

• The hydrologic practice of managed recharge can increase spring flow, relieving some environmental concern over summertime water temperatures in the mid Snake.

• Poorly-managed recharge could introduce contaminants to the aquifer, with serious environmental and regulatory implications.

• The use of Bureau of Reclamation canals is affected by Bureau "authorized purposes" policies.

• Some potential recharge sites are on Bureau of Land Management lands and its goals and policies must be considered.

• Idaho State water law governs diversion of surface water for recharge purposes.

The Ground Water Banking Project will examine the linkages and interconnections between all the aspects of the project.