WATER MARKETING

A concept of water use borne out of increased demand by urban populations for water whereby a holder of water rights is allowed to sell or lease those rights in an open market to the highest bidder. As an example, in the United States an acre-foot of water typically yields only about $400 on a farm versus $400,000 in manufacturing (National Geographic Special Edition, WATER: The Power, Promise, and Turmoil of North America's Fresh Water, November 1993). Such water marketing arrangements, however, can only succeed where necessary water transport and delivery systems exist between supply points and demand points. Also see Water Banking.