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The Montana Water Market: An Opportunity forIrrigation Companies
By Chris CorbinFounder, Lotic Water Marketing
Market Development
Population growth has significantly increased the demand for water in Montana’s fastestgrowing basins. The Montana Legislature has responded by:
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Closing the state’s fastest growing counties to new appropriations of surface water.
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Requiring mitigation for new groundwater appropriations over 35 gpm.These legislative requirements sow the seeds for water marketing in Montana. It is inevitablethat future water needs will target existing water rights. Irrigation companies in theseclosed basins can benefit from repositioning their excess water rights and leveraging theirexisting irrigation infrastructure.
Why Irrigation Companies
New water demands in the state’s closed basins can only be met by existing water rightholders. If they so choose, private irrigation companies could provide an obvious source forthis water. The market advantages held by these companies are:
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Holding largest and most senior water rights
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Managing water rights for over 100 years
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Existing infrastructure that conveys water and recharges aquifers
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Maintaining a flexible corporate structure
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Protecting agriculture and irrigation from water speculation
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Creating a cost effective, timely, voluntary, predictable and transparentmarketplace.By assuming this role in the emerging water market, irrigation companies can ensure theiragricultural interests and senior water rights are protected. Furthermore, the companiescan generate addition revenue to reinvest in their maintenance and operations.Increasing water demands across
Montana has created an emerging water market.Irrigation companies possess the legal rights, infrastructure, and resources to capitalizeon this opportunity. By doing so, they can protect their senior water rights and provide areliable source of water for future demands.
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