Our Mission and Values

We aim to facilitate the creation of effective water markets that provide benefits for all stakeholders. We understand water markets, including water markets within the unique context of SGMA.

A water market is much more than an electronic bulletin board or sophisticated trading software. A market is a complex interaction of individuals and institutions. We have learned this in the trenches, working on actual water markets in California since 2014.

We believe that well-designed water markets must look different in different locations.

Good market design must address local conditions including the unique goals and concerns of local stakeholders.

Well-designed markets must mitigate adverse third-party impacts of trade, including impacts to Disadvantaged Communities and Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems. Well-designed markets must prevent Market Power, the ability of powerful individuals or institutions to restrict others from fully participating in the market.

We offer a process as opposed to a product.

There is no off-the-shelf solution that will meet the unique needs of a particular basin. The rules and structure of a particular market must be tailored to local conditions. Generating buy-in from diverse stakeholders and guarding against cheating and other adverse impacts is essential.