Water management in a mountain front recharge aquifer

Abstract

We explore the dynamic and conflicting interaction of incentives for private versus riparian habitat water use in the context of a mountain front recharge system. A novel situation arises wherein private uses are consumptive while riparian habitat uses, although clearly consumptive, are closely related to water stocks. The hydrology of the mountain front recharge system is characterized by system lags which lead to difficulties in constructing incentive based policy tools.