Farmers and ranchers are probably right that they would be the ones to lose out if water rights become a market commodity. With 80 percent of the state's population in urban areas, the cities will just outbid agricultural interests, and there goes the farm. But there are other ways to do, or undo, our current water laws. The new water conservation plan makes it easier to establish ground-water conservation districts that in turn can regulate pumping, but the districts are not mandatory, and those outside them can continue to pump. Another troubling issue is the matter of inter-basin water transfers.
Conservation is a far cheaper and more effective means of ensuring water supply.
E.W. Scripps Publications , All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement . We also have a Privacy Policy .