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The marginal economic value of streamflow
from National Forests: Evidence from western water markets
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
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.
Keywords: water value, streamflow, economic value, water markets
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Title: RMRS Other
Publications: The marginal economic value of streamflow from National
Forests: Evidence from western water markets
Electronic Publish Date: April 7, 2009
Last Update: April
8, 2009