Productivity and Efficiency
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, water efficiency is the smart use of our water resources through water-saving technologies and simple steps. Using water efficiently will help ensure reliable water supplies today and for future generations. Topics addressed in this theme provide insights, lessons, and guidance on how diverse stakeholders are working to improve water management and reduce water use.
Productivity and Efficiency Resources
Irrigation Water Use
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July 21, 2021Irrigation water use includes water that is applied by an irrigation system to sustain plant growth in agricultural and horticultural practices. Irrigation also includes water that is used for pre-irrigation, frost protection, chemical application, weed control, field preparation, crop cooling,...Read more
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United StatesAgriculture and the Quality of the Nation's Waters
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July 21, 2021Intensive studies by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project in agricultural areas provide insight into how agricultural activities have altered the natural flow of water and the way that agricultural chemicals enter streams and aquifers, and in particular how nutrients affect...Read more
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United StatesAquaculture Water Use
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July 21, 2021Aquaculture water use is water associated with raising organisms that live in water, such as finfish and shellfish, for food, restoration, conservation, or sport. Aquaculture production occurs under controlled feeding, sanitation, and harvesting procedures primarily in ponds, flowthrough raceways,...Read more
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United StatesWater quality trading
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July 22, 2021Water quality trading is a market-based tool for achieving improved water quality. To offset its pollutant discharges, an entity required to control a pollutant in a watershed can trade water quality credits with another entity in the same watershed to lower its pollution-control costs. Water...Read more
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United StatesCalifornia Water on the Market: Q&A with Barton “Buzz” Thompson
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July 22, 2021California water has joined gold, energy and bitcoin as a commodity whose future value can be traded on a financial exchange and the first market trades on water futures took place three months ago. The market, based on values determined by NASDAQ’s Veles Water Market Index, was hailed by some as a...Read more
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United StatesUSGS Blue Carbon Projects
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July 22, 2021Blue carbon projects aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avert the worst effects of climate change by storing carbon in ocean-based environmental restoration projects like seaweed farms. The USGS Blue Carbon (vegetated coastal ecosystems) Projects work with partner organizations to collect,...Read more
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