Integrating forecasting, remote sensing, and smart markets to improve water allocation and drought resilience in western agriculture.
The five-year Technology for Trade project advanced water use efficiency in agriculture through development and evaluation of three complementary innovations: improved seasonal forecasting, remote measurement of crop water consumption, and computer-aided “smart” water markets. Conducted across the Yakima, Okanogan, and Walla Walla River Basins, the research combined simulation-based water market experiments, real-world transaction data, and stakeholder surveys of water rights holders and irrigation district growers. In addition to technical tools, the project examined legal, regulatory, and contractual innovations needed to enable technology adoption while protecting existing water rights. Active engagement with regional stakeholders and an advisory committee helped focus research priorities and ensure practical relevance. The project generated research highlight papers and a public-facing summary describing outcomes and implications for agricultural water management in Washington state and beyond.
This project was funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture project #1016467.
Products from this Project
- Science Brief
Tech for Trade Water Management Survey: Summary Statistics and Documentation - Science Brief
What Is the Accuracy of Seasonal Forecasts for Informing Agricultural Decisions? - Science Brief
Can a Seasonal Drought Forecast Be Wrong and Still Worth Using for Making Water Leasing Decisions? - Science Brief
Do Strong El Niño/La Niña Signals Translate to Higher Accuracy and Value of Seasonal Forecasts? - Science Brief
Scientific Developments in Quantifying Consumptive Use and Crop Water Requirements for Washington State - Science Brief
Crop Model-Data Fusion for On-Farm Estimation of Crop Evapotranspiration - Science Brief
Integrating Satellite Images with Agriculture Modeling for Estimating Field Scale Crop Evapotranspiration and Irrigation Water Demand - Blog Post
Water Markets in Washington State: What If Leasing Part of a Water Right Was Allowed? - Science Brief
Nonpecuniary Effects on Farmer Behavior: Evidence from Washington State Farmers with Surface Water Irrigation - Science Brief
Do “Nonpecuniary Benefits of Farming” or “Psychological Ownership” affect Water Markets? - Science Brief
Agent-Based Model Development and Touchet Watershed Data Usage - Science Brief
Does the “Use It or Lose It” Doctrine Have Teeth? Evidence for Water Right Forfeiture in Washington State from 1967 to 2019 - Science Brief
Use It or Lose It: The Economic Consequences of Forfeiture Rules Under the Prior Appropriations Doctrine - Science Brief
A Field Level Economic Model of Regional Agricultural Production - Science Brief
Open Water Trade: An Open-Source Smart Market for Water - Science Brief
Incentivizing Multibenefit Outcomes in Surface and Groundwater Markets - Science Brief
Open Water Trade: A Water Trading Exercise Software for Education and Water Market Design - Science Brief
An Agent-Based Model for Assessing Agricultural Water Market Structure and Function - Science Brief
Partnering with Practitioners in Developing Improved Information Technologies for Water Management - Blog Post
Water Markets’ Potential for Addressing Drought, Water Availability - Blog Post
Putting a Price on Water: Would Price Disclosure Increase Water Market Participation? - Blog Post
Water Markets: The Complexity of Trading Private Rights to a Public Good - Blog Post
A Framework to Evaluate Irrigation Efficiency Impacts Under a Changing Climate - Blog Post
Climate Change & Stream Flow for Salmon: Barriers & Opportunities for Adaptation in Washington State - Science Brief
Coevolution of Technology and Law for Water Management in Washington State and Beyond - Report
Lessons Learned from the Listening Sessions for the Technology for Trade Project
Project Leads
Yoder, J. and Rajagopalan, K.
People
Yoder, J., Rajagopalan, K., Howitt, R., Ronspies, R., Hall, S. A., Abatzoglou, J., Barber, M., Basu, S., Brady, M., Cook, J., Deol, S., Fabbri, C., Haller, D., Khot, L., Kruger, C., Liu, M., Nelson, R., Nijssen, B., Padowski, J., Peters, T., Pickering, N., Shuman, C., Stockle, C., Yorgey, G., and Young, R.
Project Dates
2018– 2022
Areas of Focus
- Agricultural Practices
- Agricultural Technology
- Climate & Environment
- Research Engagement & Communication
- Water Resources & Policy
Topics
- Climate Change
- Community Engaged Research
- Energy
- Natural Resources
- Production Systems
- Soils & Fertility
- Water Resources
Project Status
Complete
Collaborators
- Kansas State University
- Washington State University Biological Systems Engineering
- Washington State University Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Washington State University School of Economic Sciences
- WSU Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach
