Topic: Fresh Water

Pensacola, Florida

The Gulf of Mexico on the Pensacola, Florida coast / Capt_tain Tom / CC BY 2.0

Building Demand in US Water Quality Trading Markets

Chris Lewis
Environmental credit trading programs have gained traction for pollutants like carbon emissions, at least in concept. Is water quality trading the next frontier? The mechanism offers the possibility of more flexible and cost-effective water quality control, but in contrast to some environmental credits, markets have struggled to gain momentum.
Delaware farm

Farm in Georgetown, Delaware / Michele Dorsey Walfred / CC BY-SA 2.0

Revolving Water Fund Pilots PFS Approach for Water Quality Improvements

Allegra Wrocklage
The traditional water fund model, which has been used around the world, pools philanthropic and donor capital to support upstream restorations. The Revolving Water Fund innovates on this model by also aiming to quantify the pollution reductions from these restoration activities, then packaging and selling the reductions to municipalities in the watershed seeking to cost-effectively comply with water quality standards enforced under the Clean Water Act.
Commentary

Wall Street Needs to Put More Stock in Future of Chesapeake Bay

Source: Delmarva Now
While the states in the bay watershed have collectively appropriated more than $300 million in each of the last two fiscal years to conserve important lands, and have received some complementary federal funding, these levels will be inadequate to conserve another 3.1 million acres of land by 2030 to achieve the 30% goal.
External News

EPRI and First Climate Bring Water Quality Credits to Environmental Stewardship Markets

Source: Yahoo! Finance
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and First Climate announced today an agreement that will move credits from EPRI’s Ohio River Basin Water Quality Trading Project to international credit trading markets. This is a unique collaborative between a water quality project and an environmental asset credit broker to provide access to some of the world’s largest environmental credit buyers.
External News

EPA Encourages Market-Based Approach To Reduce Runoff To Great Lakes

Source: WFYI Indianapolis
The Environmental Protection Agency is offering $14 million to fund projects that help reduce harmful runoff into Great Lakes waterways through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. That includes green infrastructure, farmer-led outreach and education, manure management on farms, and a market-based approach called “water quality trading.”
External News

The Water Marketplace

Source: NPR Planet Money
After seven years of drought in California that drained aquifers and brought many farmers to the brink, legislators in Sacramento crafted a bunch of rules governing water usage. Those rules, many of which kick in next year, cap how much water farmers and cities can use.
External News

USDA Announces Availability of $12.5 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants

Source: Natural Resources Conservation Service
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is accepting proposals through July 30, 2019, for national Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). CIG projects inspire creative problem-solving that boosts production on farms, ranches, and private forests — ultimately, they improve water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat. All U.S.-based non-federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply.
Commentary

This Creative Tax is a Good Bet for Colorado’s Water Future. Here’s Why.

Source: EDF Growing Returns
It’s a rare opportunity when new money bubbles up for water projects in the Centennial State. But that is exactly what is happening as a result of a bill approved this week with strong bipartisan support in the Legislature. The bill, HB 1327, proposes to raise new money to protect and conserve water in Colorado by legalizing sports betting and imposing a 10% tax on its revenue.