Survey of eastern Washington water users on forecasting, consumptive use, and water market participation.
This survey report presents summary statistics and documentation from the Tech for Trade Water Management Survey conducted in 2020–2021 across the Methow, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Yakima river basins. The survey, led by Washington State University and the State of Washington Water Research Center, gathered responses from 248 water rights holders and irrigation district farmers to better understand water management practices, forecasting use, consumptive use estimation, and attitudes toward water transfers and regulatory policies.
Results show limited use of long-range forecasts, modest adoption of consumptive use estimation, and relatively low comfort with water markets. Regulatory hurdles, uncertainty about water right valuation, and mistrust of institutions emerged as key barriers to transfers. A majority of respondents supported repeal of Washington’s relinquishment law and expressed mixed views on price disclosure in water markets. The report provides detailed response rates, sampling methods, and basin-level comparisons to support interpretation of findings.
This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Technology for Trade project (Award No. 2017-67023-26277).
This publication is part of an archive and may not meet current digital accessibility standards. CSANR is working to improve digital accessibility of all materials. If you need this content in an alternative format, please contact csanr@wsu.edu.
Authors
Cook, J. and Kumar, A.
Related Products
- What Is the Accuracy of Seasonal Forecasts for Informing Agricultural Decisions?
- Can a Seasonal Drought Forecast Be Wrong and Still Worth Using for Making Water Leasing Decisions?
- Do Strong El Niño/La Niña Signals Translate to Higher Accuracy and Value of Seasonal Forecasts?
- Scientific Developments in Quantifying Consumptive Use and Crop Water Requirements for Washington State
- Crop Model-Data Fusion for On-Farm Estimation of Crop Evapotranspiration
- Integrating Satellite Images with Agriculture Modeling for Estimating Field Scale Crop Evapotranspiration and Irrigation Water Demand
- Water Markets in Washington State: What If Leasing Part of a Water Right Was Allowed?
- Nonpecuniary Effects on Farmer Behavior: Evidence from Washington State Farmers with Surface Water Irrigation
- Do “Nonpecuniary Benefits of Farming” or “Psychological Ownership” affect Water Markets?
- Agent-Based Model Development and Touchet Watershed Data Usage
- Does the “Use It or Lose It” Doctrine Have Teeth? Evidence for Water Right Forfeiture in Washington State from 1967 to 2019
- Use It or Lose It: The Economic Consequences of Forfeiture Rules Under the Prior Appropriations Doctrine
- A Field Level Economic Model of Regional Agricultural Production
- Open Water Trade: An Open-Source Smart Market for Water
- Incentivizing Multibenefit Outcomes in Surface and Groundwater Markets
- Open Water Trade: A Water Trading Exercise Software for Education and Water Market Design
- An Agent-Based Model for Assessing Agricultural Water Market Structure and Function
- Partnering with Practitioners in Developing Improved Information Technologies for Water Management
- Water Markets’ Potential for Addressing Drought, Water Availability
- Putting a Price on Water: Would Price Disclosure Increase Water Market Participation?
- Water Markets: The Complexity of Trading Private Rights to a Public Good
- A Framework to Evaluate Irrigation Efficiency Impacts Under a Changing Climate
- Climate Change & Stream Flow for Salmon: Barriers & Opportunities for Adaptation in Washington State
- Coevolution of Technology and Law for Water Management in Washington State and Beyond
- Lessons Learned from the Listening Sessions for the Technology for Trade Project
Related Project
Suggested Citation
Cook, J., Kumar, A. (2021). Summary Statistics and Survey Documentation: Tech for Trade Water Management Survey. Washington State University.
Year Published
2021
Areas of Focus
Agricultural Practices, Research Engagement & Communication, and Water Resources & Policy
Topics
Climate Change, Community Engaged Research, Production Systems, and Water Resources
Collaborators
- Pacific Market Research

