Water Market Forum (August 8, 2008)
The Katoomba Group is hosting an online forum on water quality markets focused around water markets in Chesapeake Bay. More importantly, the forum's positioning statement." building capacity around water trading and water markets around the globe" leaves itself open to a future discussion on water quantity markets.
Great Website (may 20, 2008)
Lotic recently stumpled upon a great web reference: www.ecosystemmarketplace.com. The ecosystem marketplace "seeks to become the world's leading source of information on markets and payment schemes for ecosystem services." Although this webpage currently lacks information regarding water quantity markets, it provides detail on other conservation markets (carbon, water quality, biodiversity, etc). Understanding the structures, strategies, and execution of these existing conservation markets will prove beneficial for the emerging water markets in the West.
It's BACK! (april 6, 2008)
On March 16, 2008, we posted a message on the bulletin board about a groundwater right in West Tenneesee that was listed on ebay. The seller has relisted the water right and has provided greater detail of the right. Our last posting laid the foundation for the developing markets of the West. It appears the historically water rich south is also understanding the value and importance of water. Atlanta?
drying out of the west (april 6, 2008)
Robert Kunzig recently composed an article for National Geographic Magazine, Drying Out of the West, highlighting the current and on-coming water woes facing the Western United States. What is the the take home message? "The wet 20th century, the wetttest of the past millenium, the century when Americans built an incrdible civilization in the desert, is over." Basically, the West's population has grown from 4.1 million (1900) to 69.4 million (2006), all under an unusually wet century. What will happen as the West continues to grow under a drier forcast? This article not only draws validity to our work at LOTIC, but excites us for the opportunity to be a player in the water markets that are developing with increasing demand and dimishing supply of the resource we all depend on: water!
As with most National Geographic works, the photography by Vincent Laforet captures the story.
water creativity (march 17,2008)
"Play Pumps" captures water creativity we can all appreciate. Kids play on a merry-go-round and pump, much needed, water for villages at the same time. Now, that is a very creative water solution.
EBAY enters the water market (march 16, 2008)
Ebay defines itself as "the worlds online marketplace." Although it currently holds the title for the most real estate "time-share" transactions, it has yet to enter the water market. This has recently changed. A seller on ebay has posted a West Tennessee ground water right of 45 AC-FT with a reserved starting bid of $6,999.99 - an estimated valuation of $155.53 an AC-FT.
Lotic to Present (march 3, 2008)
Lotic, LLC has been invited as the keynote speaker at the Montana Farm and Rancher Brokers meeting on March 11, 2008. The meeting will be held at VFW Hall in Big Timber, MT and will begin at 9:00 am. Lotic's presentation will focus Farm and Ranch Water Strategies.