Environment

Two-way water transport ensures reliability and saves money during droughts in the western United States

How a two-way option contract works. Credit: Earth’s Future (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024EF004434

A study led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers solutions to water scarcity during droughts as economic development, population growth and climate uncertainty struggle for water users in western states. It provides: The proposed two-way lease agreement would coordinate agricultural-to-urban leases during drought periods and urban-to-agricultural leases during rainy seasons, benefiting both urban and agricultural water users. .

“Water markets are important tools for allocating water to water-scarce regions in the Western United States and around the world, but they are often slow to respond to droughts, preventing reallocations that could significantly reduce the fiscal impact. ” said Greg Charaklis. , WR Kenan is Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and Director of UNC’s new Institute for Risk Management and Insurance Innovation (IRMII).

The study, recently published in Earth’s Future, examines the hydrological, engineering, and institutional systems that manage water along Colorado’s rapidly growing Front Range communities. We are testing a two-way option contract for water users that can respond quickly to dry conditions. .

These contracts are concluded before a drought and can provide cities with both cost savings and higher water supply reliability, allowing cities to quickly obtain water from irrigation facilities during dry periods. This arrangement allows cities to refrain from developing large, expensive materials that are rarely used.

Agricultural users benefit from annual option payments from urban users and higher rates when water is transferred in dry years. In normal and wet years, these two-way option contracts transfer urban surplus supply to irrigators, who benefit from higher levels of agricultural productivity in these years. .

Historically, reallocating water through water rights leases has been time-consuming and expensive, especially in times of drought. Local governments often resort to purchasing more permanent water rights than necessary to meet average demand and ensure reliable supply even under the driest conditions.

After purchasing these rarely used rights, the slow and expensive leasing process prevents cities from leasing surplus rights to irrigation facilities during normal or wet seasons, reducing long-term agricultural productivity. .

States in the Western United States are beginning to pass laws that will make the regulatory approval process for short-term water transfers faster and less expensive, but new mechanisms to take advantage of these new laws have not yet been established. . This research suggests that innovative new contract structures may be part of the solution.

“Two-way option agreements can span multiple years, and by seeking approval and finalizing the details before a drought occurs, transfers between mutually agreeing parties can significantly reduce losses, and “This could lead to rapid and efficient redistribution of water,” said lead author Zachary Hirsch, a former graduate student (Master’s ’23) in the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the model across a 63-year observed hydrological record from 1950 to 2012 in a study area of ​​Colorado, and helps both local governments and irrigators respond quickly to changes in hydrology. proved to be an efficient and cost-saving tool for Compared to traditional water allocation methods, the situation changes over time.

“Decades of one-way permanent water transfers have had significant indirect impacts on the agricultural economy and created tensions between urban and agricultural water users. Contracts that ensure that they are sustainable and adaptable to changing conditions are key to restoring trust in an era of cooperation.”Drought solutions are desperately needed,” said another. HB Zeff, contributor and new principal investigator at IRMII.

The research team says this two-way allocation model can be applied to other water markets across the United States.

Further information: Zachary M. Hirsch et al, Bidirectional option contracts to facilitate adaptive water reallocation in the Western United States, Earth’s Future (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024EF004434

Provided by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Citation: Two-way water transport ensures reliability and saves money during drought in the western United States (November 26, 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-11-reliability-money-drought Retrieved from -western on November 26, 2024.html

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