As the climate grows warmer and drier, water scarcity is a growing concern for agriculture, ecosystems, and people in the Walker River Basin of Nevada and California. Researchers from the SNOWPACS project–Synthesizing kNowledge to Optimize Water Policy for Agriculture under Changing Snowpack– are trying to understand how water users and water allocation systems in the region can successfully adapt to these changing conditions.
In this video, hear from water managers, farmers, Indigenous leaders, and conservation groups who are turning to water markets – systems for buying, selling, and leasing water rights – to support more flexible, collaborative, and resilient water use into the future.
This video was produced by the Hitchcock Project for Visualizing Science in the Reynolds School of Journalism in partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno Extension. Video by Vanesa de la Cruz Pavas and Kelsey Fitzgerald. Narration by Loretta Singletary. Special thanks to Richie Bednarski for contributing drone footage, Jayanti Sarkar for additional camera footage, and Olga Ilchuck for logistical support. This project was made possible with funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
