Markets for Federal Water: Subsidies, Property Rights, and the Bureau of Reclamation [Hardcover]

This book clearly and authoritatively addresses significant issues of water policy in the western United States at a time when the growing scarcity of western water and the role of the Bureau of Reclamation in the allocation of that resource are becoming increasingly urgent issues. In this scholarly study, Wahl combines his insider's knowledge of the Interior Department's dam-building, regulatory, and water-pricing decisions with an objective analysis of the efficiency dilemma. The study begins by tracing the origins of the reclamation idea and the expansion of subsidies in the program since 1902. The author then recommends major changes in reclamation law and in the Bureau of Reclamation's policies for administering its water supply contracts. He uses four case studies to illustrate the application and potential benefits of his proposals.IntroductionPart I: History and Evolution of Subsidies1. History of Federal Involvement in the Reclamation Movement2. Irrigation Subsidies in the Reclamation Program3. Administrative Extension of Subsidies: The Central Valley Project4. Attempts to Limit the Reclamation Subsidy: The Reclamation Reform Act of 1982Part II: Policy Recommendations to Facilitate Water Marketing5. Promoting More Efficient Use of Federally Supplied Water6. Federal Policy Changes to Facilitate Voluntary Water TransfersPart III: Case Studies of Potential Water Transfers7. Water Contamination Problems at Kesterson Reservoir8. Water Transfer Possibilities Involving the Central Arizona Project9. Quality of Water in the Colorado River and the Yuma Desalting Plant10. The Prospects for Leasing Compact Rights on the Colorado RiverPart IV: Concluding ReflectionsAppendix: U.S. Department of the Interior's 'Principles Governing Voluntary Water Transactions'US? 1989 Resources for the Future