The 5-year Technology for Trade project, initiated in 2018, is contributing to enhanced water management by furthering the development and application of three promising and complementary emerging technologies: improved seasonal forecasting, remote measurement of crop water consumption, and computer-aided ‘smart’ water markets. In addition, legal, regulatory, and contractual innovations can be important to allow water users to use these technologies as effectively as possible while protecting the water rights of others.
The research entails active engagement with individuals and organizations working throughout the region to identify and help focus on the most critical and fruitful research avenues. It also utilizes data collection through multiple sources, including active simulation-based water market and water use decision experiments, and real-world market activity.
Our testbed includes three regions in the Columbia River Basin of Washington State — the Yakima, Okanogan, and Walla Walla River Basins.
Most recently, our team completed a survey of water rights holders and irrigation district growers in the Okanogan, Methow, Walla Walla and Yakima river basins in Washington State (see here for a summary of key results). The survey was part of a larger project that is exploring the development of information technologies that could enhance water use now and in the future.
This two page summary describes the different aspects of the Tech for Trade project in more detail.
For more information contact Jonathan Yoder (Lead PI) at yoder@wsu.edu, or Co-PI and Project Manager Kirti Rajagopalan at kirtir@wsu.edu.
Organizations
People
Activities and Products
- Water Markets’ Potential for Addressing Drought, Water Availability
- Summary Statistics and Survey Documentation: Tech for Trade Water Management Survey
- TFT Water User Survey
- Coevolution of technology and law for water management in Washington State and beyond
- Check it out: How to Reconcile 2019’s Unusual Winter with a Warming Climate.
- Check it out: It’s not only the timing of water supply that’s shifting
- Check it out: Looking into New Technologies, Governance and Market Ideas to Improve our Use of Water (blog post)
- Technology for Trade: New tools and new rules for improved water use in agriculture and beyond (presentation)
- On the Frontier of Water Rights: Beneficial Use and Relinquishment in Settling the Columbia River Basin (presentation)
- Technology for Trade: New Tools and New Rules for Water Use Efficiency in Ag and Beyond (Presentation)
- Technology for trade: new tools and rules to improve water use in agriculture and beyond (poster)