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Water Quality Markets

Water quality credit trading can provide a cost-effective means to improve water quality and increase opportunities for conservation on private lands. Markets for nutrients, temperature, and sediment load reductions are developing across the U.S. and maybecome a new economic driver for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in rural America.OEM is partnering with stakeholders to develop the tools and infrastructure needed to support environmental markets.

USDA Resources

“In it Together: A How-To Reference for Building Point-Nonpoint Water Quality Trading Programs,” Willamette Partnership

NTT (BETA): Nutrient Tracking Tool

National Agricultural Library Water Quality Spotlight

Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems: Implications for Conservation Policy

Water Availability and Water Management; Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Network

Other Federal Resources

US EPA Water Quality Trading Toolkitexternal site

Other Resources

Innovations in Watershed-Based Conservation in the United States: Payments for Watershed Services for Agricultural and Forest Landownersexternal site

Getting Paid for Stewardship: An Agricultural Community Water Quality Trading Guideexternal site

AFT: Protecting Water Qualityexternal site