Washington Water Acquisition Program
Of Water and Trust: A Review of the Washington Water Acquisition Program
Center Contribution: Interviews conducted with water users and policy makers familiar with the program revealed reasons why water rights holders were reluctant to sell or lease their water rights. Data analysis helped identify trends in use of the program, often at odds with perceptions. The overall findings suggested that the program worked well in some areas, but that perceived risks and distrust of the state were significant barriers in other areas. The report suggested a path toward improving the structure of the program by involving the agricultural community in its design and implementation.
Impact and Implications: Based on information contained in the report, the Department of Ecology revamped the Water Acquisition Program and reconsidered their approach to other programs involving the agricultural community. Agricultural leaders described the report as “objective” in its depiction of both the limitations and the previously unappreciated aspects of the program. Departmental officials and agricultural community leaders noted the value of objective analysis in creating possibilities for better dialogue and problem solving for this and other programs.
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