Progress 01/24/02 to 01/23/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Update stakeholders on water prices for transfers and water issues related to rural and urban economies. Presented papers at the following: The Impact of Shifting Water Demands on Texas Agriculture, (October 2008) Natural Resources Training Program for County Extension Agents, Lufkin, Tx. Pricing and Marketing Texas Groundwater, (September 2008) Continuing Legal Education Water Law Conference, Austin, Texas. Water Availability and It's Impact on Rural Land Development, (May 2008) Texas Real Estate Center Conference on Rural Land Development, San Antonio, Tx. Water Availability and It's Impact on Texas Real Estate Development, (April 2008) Texas Board of Realtors, Austin, Tx. Conceptual and Legal Requirements for Texas Water Marketing (April 2008) Continuing Legal Education International Conference, San Antonio, Tx. The Implications of Climate Change for State Water Laws, (February 2008) National Conference of State Attorneys General, Austin, Tx. Water Law Affecting Ranching and Farming for Wildlife ( March 2008) Houston Livestock Show, Houston, Tx. Water Demand, Law and Policy Impacting Rural/Urban Interface Lands (January 2008) Texas Real Estate Center Annual Conference, Houston, Tx. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Landowners, bankers, ranchers, farmers, accountants, realtors, brokers, county extension agents, city and county elected officials. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Provide information to water users to encourage equity in the prices of transfers.
Publications
- Kaiser, R (2008). Designing the Texas A&M University Graduate Water Degree Program, Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 139 (47) 2008.
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Updated stakeholder and public information website:http//texaswater.tamu.edu Presented programs and papers at four (4) United State water conferences and one (1) Bi-National Water Conference with Mexico.
TARGET AUDIENCES: Irrigators, ranchers, municipalities, industries, groundwater management districts, river authorities
Impacts
Water transfers can and do increase income for ruralagricultural) landowners.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
Continue to update website: http://texaswater.tamu.edu as the portal to provide information to stakeholders.
Impacts
Transfers increase income for rural agricultural landowners
Publications
- Kaiser, R., "Texas Water Institutions and Laws" in Water Policy in Texas: Management for a Diverse Land, (R. Griffin Ed) Resources for the Future, Wash D.C. (a 2007-08 release date).
- Wagner, M , Kaiser, R and U. Kruetter. (2006). "Managing the Commons Texas Style: Wildlife Management and Groundwater Associations on Private Lands, Journal of American Waterworks Association (accepted for publication, August 2006).
- Wagner, M., Kaiser, R., and N. Wilkins. (2006). Collective Action and Social Capital of Wildlife Management Associations., Journal of Wildlife Management (accepted for publication, March 2006).
- Kaiser, R. (2006). Groundwater Management in Texas: Intelligent Design or Evolution. Kansas Journal of Law and Policy. (Accepted for publication in Spring 2006).
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
Continue to update water website and use the site as a portal to provide information to stakeholders. See http://texaswater.tamu.edu This website had over 325,000 hits over the past year.
Impacts
Transfers increase income for rural agricultural landowners.
Publications
- Kaiser, R., Texas Water Law, in Water and Water Rights (Robert Beck ed.). Michie Co:Charlottesville, VA. 2005.
- Kaiser, R. (2005). Who Owns the Water: A Primer on Texas Groundwater Law. Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, July 2005.
- Kaiser, R. et al. Barriers to Water Conservation on the Rio Grande, TCE/TWRI Report (August 2005).
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Organized and conducted three conferences in San Antonio, Alpine and Nacogdoches on water marketing for Texas landowners, lenders and public officials. Attendance: 450 people. Continuously updated water website. See http://texaswater.tamu.edu. Website received best of web award from American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
Impacts
Water transfers increase income for rural agricultural landowners. Change in Texas law to facilitate transfers.
Publications
- Kaiser, Ronald 2004. Water Concerns in Texas: A Problem in Search of a Solution. Texas Bar Journal 67, 188.
- Kaiser, Ronald 2004. Texas Water Markets and Transfers. The Water Report. 10: 13.
- Silvy, Val; Kaiser, Ronald; Lesikar, Bruce; and Runyan, Craig 2004. Urban Water Conservation Along the Rio Grande. Texas Cooperative Extension and New Mexico State Cooperative Extension Technical Rpt TR 269 and SP 201.
- Kaiser, Ronald. 2004. Solving the Texas Water Puzzle. Texas Public Policy Foundation Research Report (in press)
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Organized and conducted three major Texas water conferences on groundwater management and water marketing. Total atendance: 725 people. Continued data collection on water prices and transfer formats. Developed website for data. See http://texaswater.tamu.edu
Impacts
Facilitation of water transfers and increased income for rural landowners.
Publications
- Kaiser, Ronald 2003. Marketing and Exporting Water in Texas. Texas Water Resources Institute,TWRI 219, pp. 1-11.
- Kaiser, Ronald 2003. Developing a Five Year Regulatory Plan for Groundwater Districts. Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI 235, pp. 1-8.
- Wright, Brett, Kaiser, Ronald, Nichols, Sarah. 2003. Myths, Perceptions and Realities--An Investigation of Rural Landowner Liability for Recreational Injuries. Proceedings of First National Symposium on Sustainable Natural Resource-Based Alternative Enterprises for Private Landowners, Mississippi State university. May, 2003. pp. 26-46.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Research this past year continued to focus on groundwater and on the establishment of institutional mechanism to facilitate management and marketing. A second line of research focusing on incentives for urban water conservation was instituted in cities along the Rio Grande River.
Impacts
Publication results from the groundwater research helped inform voters in a number of Texas counties on the merits of creating Groundwater Management Districts. More than 20 Districts were subject to voter approval.
Publications
- Lesikar, B., Kaiser, R., and Silvy, V. 2002. Question about Groundwater Conservation Districts in Texas. Texas Cooperative Extension, Tech Rept, B-6120.
- Woodward,R.,Kaiser,R., and Wicks, A. 2002. The Structure and Practice of Water Quality Trading Markets. Journal of Amercian Water Resources Assoc. 38: 967.
- Kaiser, R. 2002. Texas Water Law at Crossroads, Texas Coopertive Extension, 20 min video.
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
Research continued on groundwater management strategies and preliminary efforts were instituted to examine the efficacy of effluent trading for water pollution control. Research was started on public recreational water access issues.
Impacts
The groundwater management strategy research will be used by groundwater districts in the development of management plans that are required by law. The effluent trading research provides a framework that be used by state regulatory agencies in designing water pollution control programs. Public access research will assist in the resolution of conflicts involving the recreational use of water.
Publications
- Kaiser, R. and Skillern, F. 2001. Deep Trouble: Options for Managing the Hidden Threat of Aquifer Depletion in Texas, 32 Texas Tech Law Review, 249.
- Wright, B., Kaiser, R. and Nicholls, S. 2001. Rural Landowner Liability for Recreational Injuries: Myth, Perception and Reality. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. October 2001.
- Woodward, R., and Kaiser, R. 2001. Market Structures for U.S. Water Quality Trading. Review of Agricultural Economics. June, 2001.
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
Research continued on water reallocation, management and marketing with a focus on groundwater. Funding was provided by the Texas Lieutenant Governors Office to undertake an analysis of groundwater laws and management approaches in selected western states in order to provide management options for Texas.
Impacts
Results from the groundwater study were adopted by th Texas Senate natural resources Committee. The report is "The Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources Report to the 77th Legislature, Texas Groundwater Resources, Chapter 3, November 2000." This report will help groundwater legislation in Texas.
Publications
- Kaiser, R., Lesikar,B., and Skillern, F., 2000. An Analysis of Groundwater Management in selected Western States: Options for Texas. A Report to the Texas Senate, Oct 2000, 1-71 pp.
- Collins, K, 2000. An Analysis of Stakeholder Perceptions on Texas Regional Water Planning and Management. Professional Paper (Thesis), Texas A&M University, Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences.
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Progress 01/01/99 to 12/31/99
Outputs
Research was instituted on extending water quantity marketing and trading concepts to water quality effluent rights. A study was undertaken with funding from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission to examine the policy options for effluent trading in Texas. Research from this study will guide the establishment of effluent trading in Texas. A study of Texas regional water planning officials was undertaken to determine their preference and feasibility opinions for 20 different water management options, including marketing and transfers. Results from this study have been widely distributed through the Texas Water Resources Institute web site. Data from the study will help guide water planning in Texas. Another three day water conflict resolution program was conducted for staff of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and the Texas Water Development Board. Finding from research on marketing undertaken as part of this project was used as a basis for the
training and educational program.
Impacts
Results from the marketing water quality effluent rights study will help guide Texas in developing a trading program. This has the potential to reduce water pollution in Texas.
Publications
- Fossett, M., Kaiser, R., et al. 1999. Effluent Trading in Texas: A Policy Review. A technical report of the Center for Public Leadership Studies, George Bush School of Government and Public Service. College Station, Texas. August.
- Kaiser, R., Lesikar, B., et al. 1999. Water Management Strategies: Ranking the Options. Technical Report, Texas A&M University System, College Station, Texas.
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Progress 01/01/98 to 12/31/98
Outputs
Research activities continue to build upon the previous efforts by examining marketing as a means to allocate and resolve conflicts over scarce water resources in the Edwards Aquifer region. A special regulatory state agency has been established to develop plans to allocate water to protect endangered plants and animals that inhabit the springs flowing from the Edwards Aquifer. A funding proposal to conduct a stakeholder framing study as a precursor to market-based negotiations has been approved by the Hewlitt Foundation. This two year study is underway and will examine the type of value and conflict frames that stakeholders embrace, differences in stakeholder frames over time, differences in frames across stakeholder groups and, differences between frames. The study will involve conducting and analyzing more than sixty interviews with different stakeholder groups in the region to determine the viability of market based allocation paradigms to meet environmental water
needs. A special three day water conflict resolution training program was conducted in July of this year for Texas Agricultural Extension agents. Research results from this project were used as a basis for this training and educational program.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Kaiser, R. 1998. Legal and Institutional Considerations in Water Marketing: So You Think You Can Sell It. Proceedings of the 25th Water For Texas Symposium, Texas Water Resources Institute, Austin, Texas, December 1998.
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Progress 01/01/97 to 12/31/97
Outputs
Findings from research conducted under the aegis of this TAES project were used in developing water legislation in Texas. Senate Bill #1 which passed in the 1997 Texas legislature has been lauded as the most significant water legislation to be enacted in the last 30 years. Research findings were used by the Texas Water Development Board, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in framing agency legislative requests regarding water transfers. These findings were also used by a special legislative staff committee in drafting sections of Senate Bill #1. Dr. Kaiser was asked to assist in drafting portions of the bill and in evaluating other proposed amendments. Specifically, his research recommendations provided the justification for changes in Texas water law regarding (1) marketing, (2) Interbasin transfers, (3) the sale of conserved water, (4) the creation of an environmental trust fund in the Texas Water Bank, (5) water
reuse and (6) notification provisions for water availability during drought. The bill fundamentally changes the approach to water reallocation and planning in Texas. It required that the TWDB changed from a centralized to a local approach in water planning.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Kaiser, R.A. and Binion, Shane. 1998. Untying the Gordian Knot: Negotiated Strategies for Resolving Conflicts over Instream Flows in Texas. Natural Resources Journal.
- Kaiser, R.A. and Phillips, L. 1997. Dividing the Waters: Water Marketing as a Reallocation and Conflict Mitigation Strategy in the Edwards Aquifer Region. Natural Resources Journal.
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