Name: How to keep rivers and streams flowing
Uploaded: 2011-03-11T15:35:00Z
Duration: 8 min 29 s
Description: With streams and rivers drying up because of over-usage, Rob Harmon talks about a clever market mechanism to bring back the water. Farmers and beer companies find their fates intertwined in the century-old tale of Prickly Pear Creek.

With streams and rivers drying up because of over-usage, Rob Harmon talks about a clever market mechanism to bring back the water. Farmers and beer companies find their fates intertwined in the century-old tale of Prickly Pear Creek.

How to keep rivers and streams flowing

Across the United States, tens of thousands of miles of streams have run dry, leaving ecosystems and local communities at risk. In Montana alone, some creeks hold claims for up to 100 times more water than they actually contain, trapping farmers in a system that rewards use over conservation. By linking businesses eager to offset their water footprint—like brewers—with farmers holding senior water rights, a market solution emerged. This approach has already restored more than four billion gallons of water to struggling rivers and streams.