The marginal economic value of streamflow from National Forests: Evidence from western water markets

Abstract

Evidence from over 2,000 water market transactions that occurred in the western U.S. over the past 14 years (1990 through 2003) was examined to learn who is selling to whom and for what purpose, how much water is involved, and how much it is selling for. Roughly half of the transactions were sales of water rights; the rest were water leases. The transactions show that the price of water is highly variable both within and between western states, reflecting the localized nature of the factors that affect water prices. Ideally, if water market prices or valuation studies are to be used to help determine the marginal value of water from specific areas such as national forests, information from local markets or local studies should be used. Lacking sitespecific value information, only rough estimates are possible.

Parent Publication

• Advancing the fundamental sciences: proceedings of the Forest Service National Earth Sciences Conference, San Diego, CA, 18-22 October 2004.

Citation

Brown, Thomas C. 2007. The marginal economic value of streamflow from National Forests: Evidence from western water markets. In: Furniss, M.; Clifton, C.; Ronnenberg, K. eds. Advancing the Fundamental Sciences: Proceedings of the Forest Service National Earth Sciences Conference, San Diego, CA, 18-22 October 2004. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-689. Portland, OR: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. p. 458-466