Water Market Trends: Transactions, Quantities, and Prices

Appraisers are finding that water rights and other water-related assets are becoming a more common component of their valuations. This is likely to continue as competing uses strain the water supply. This article examines data on water sales and leases in multiple states and regions and establishes overall trends in total transactions, total quantity traded, and average prices based on the market data. The study finds that while total quantity traded each year through sales and leases is variable among the states and regions, with only a few exceptions the number of transactions and average prices for water sales and leases are rising.