Economic and Conservation Tradeoffs of Regulatory Vs. Incentive-Based Water Policy in the Northwest

Glen D. Schaible

Elsewhere No. (0103), June 2000

Water quality, endangered salmon species, and Native American fishing rights have significantly heightened the competition for Columbia and Snake River Basin water resources. A solution to this regional resource conflict is expected to involve a reallocation of water resources from agriculture. This analysis examines both onfarm water conservation and agricultural economic tradeoffs across five broad regulatory and conservation-incentive water policy perspectives for the Pacific Northwest.

Keywords: water quality, irrigation, water management, water conservation, water policy, Economic Research Service, ERS, USDA, U.S. Department of Agriculture

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Updated date: June 2000