@USBR: Nine Projects $2.1 Million for Planning Activities in the Development of WaterSMART Water Marketing Strategies

Here’s the release from the US Bureau of Reclamation (Peter Soeth):

Projects in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington were selected to help establish or expand water markets or water marketing transactions

Bureau of Reclamation Acting Commissioner Alan Mikkelsen announced that nine projects will receive $2.1 million for planning activities to help establish or expand water markets or water marketing transactions. The nine projects are located in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

“Through water markets, willing buyers and sellers come together to share the water within their delivery area,” Mikkelsen said. “Water managers need a variety of tools to manage water to assure a sustainable supply into the future. Water markets are just one of those tools.”

The full description of the selected projects is available at https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/weeg/watermarketing.html. The selected projects are:

Central Oregon Irrigation District (Oregon)
Reclamation Funding: $400,000 Total Project Cost: $800,000

East Bay Municipal Utility District (California)
Reclamation Funding: $400,000 Total Project Cost: $1,062,127

El Dorado County Water Agency (California)
Reclamation Funding: $400,000 Total Project Cost: $842,218

Grand Valley Water Users Association (Colorado)
Reclamation Funding: $128,000 Total Project Cost: $265,900

Kittitas Reclamation District (Washington)
Reclamation Funding: $198,990 Total Project Cost: $433,154

Lower South Platte Water Conservancy (Colorado)
Reclamation Funding: $236,245 Total Project Cost: $708,961

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes (Idaho)
Reclamation Funding: $42,887 Total Project Cost: $85,775

The New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Company, Inc. (Colorado)
Reclamation Funding: $192,950 Total Project Cost: $397,705

Warm Springs Water and Power Enterprises (Oregon)
Reclamation Funding: $172,062 Total Project Cost: $344,124

Water marketing strategy grants are used to conduct planning activities in developing a water marketing strategy. Water marketing refers to water rights transactions and includes the lease, sale or exchange of water rights undertaken in accordance with state and federal laws between willing buyers and sellers.