All Research:
Water Conservation
Roundtable Discussion of Montana’s Stream Access
September 19, 2005 Hosted by PERC On September 19th PERC hosted a roundtable discussion on the issue of stream access in Montana. Twenty three discussants and 6 observers participated in Bozeman. A wide spectrum of interests was represented, from traditional and new (out-of-state) landowners to public access advocates. The Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Department participated,Continue reading “Roundtable Discussion of Montana’s Stream Access”
Bureaucrats and Indians
The New York Times Opinion June 28, 2005 By John Tierney Crow Agency, MT — The Crow Indians rode with Custer at Little Bighorn, but they have since reconsidered. On the anniversary of the battle Saturday, they cheered during a re-enactment when Indians drove a stake through his fringed jacket and carved out the heartContinue reading “Bureaucrats and Indians”
The Catskills Parable
The Economist magazine recently observed that natural ecosystems have more economic value than many people think. It reported that in 1997 the government of New York City faced a choice: either to install a new water filtration plant at a cost of $4–6 billion, with $250 million a year in operating costs, or spend muchContinue reading “The Catskills Parable”
The Owens Valley ‘Water Grab’
Buying or selling water faces serious hurdles. An infamous episode in California can help us understand what they are so that entrepreneurs can begin to overcome them. Gary Libecap, an economic historian at the University of Arizona, studied the Los Angeles Water Board purchases of land and water in Owens Valley, California, between 1905Continue reading “The Owens Valley ‘Water Grab’”
Riding the Waves
In the basement of an engineering building at Northeastern University in Boston, a strange eggbeater-type machine is strapped to a gurney in the corner. It is this machine, actually a turbine, that 73-year-old Professor Alexander Gorlov believes will ‘someday help turn hydroelectric power into one of the most important and environmentally benign renewable energy sourcesContinue reading “Riding the Waves”
Presto Fresh Water
A new technology could make use of excess heat and at the same time produce millions of gallons of fresh water from power plants. The novel idea originated with two professors at the University of Florida, James Klausner and Renwei Mei. What the two academics saw was power plants using huge amounts water for cooling.Continue reading “Presto Fresh Water”
Rescuing Water Markets: Lessons from Owens Valley
A look at the problems that surrounded the Ownes Valley water transfers and the lessons that can be applied to water trades today.
A Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor, From Ben F. Vaughan IV.
To Trade or Not To Trade
Every western state limits its citizens’ ability to transfer water rights. Most commonly, although owners of water rights may use water in ways and amounts consonant with historical patterns, they cannot freely sell or lease the rights to that water. Now that the economic value of water is rising rapidly and new uses for waterContinue reading “To Trade or Not To Trade”