水是一種有限的資源，對美國經(jīng)濟共同體、農(nóng)業(yè)、工業(yè)和政府各方面的生存和運作至關(guān)重要。隨著美國人口和經(jīng)濟的增長，水資源供應(yīng)壓力也越來越大。在該國許多地區(qū)，湖泊、河流和其他地表水資源和地下水資源被過度分配，造成了用水權(quán)和用水權(quán)的競爭。許多實體——農(nóng)民、牧場主、城市、城鎮(zhèn)、石油和天然氣公司、其他行業(yè)、環(huán)境團體、包括軍事設(shè)施在內(nèi)的聯(lián)邦土地所有者和其他人都在爭奪水源。所有人都發(fā)現(xiàn)分享水資源越來越具有挑戰(zhàn)性，特別是在干旱期間。能否長期獲得可靠水源尚不確定。由于水是一種公共物品，由聯(lián)邦、州和地方政府控制，獲得水的能力往往是由政府機構(gòu)之間的復(fù)雜協(xié)議決定的，而且越來越多地是在法庭上。然而，一些市場機制，如水拍賣，也開始發(fā)展，以幫助買賣雙方分享水。同樣，正在實施公共對公共伙伴關(guān)系，以幫助政府機構(gòu)更好地規(guī)劃、管理和共享水資源，并對水基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施進行投資。

Water is a finite resource and critical to the survival and functioning of all aspects of the U.S. economy—communities, agriculture, industry, and government. As the U.S. population and the economy have grown, so too have the pressures on the increasingly stressed supply of water. In many parts of the country, lakes, rivers, and other surface water sources and groundwater sources are over-allocated, causing competition for the rights and access to water. Numerous entities— farmers, ranchers, cities, towns, oil and gas companies, other industries, environmental groups, federal landowners, including military installations, and others—compete for water. All have found it increasingly challenging to share water resources, especially during droughts. The longterm access to reliable sources of water is uncertain. Since water is a public good and is controlled by federal, state, and local governments, the ability to access water often is being determined by complex agreements among government agencies and increasingly in court battles. However, some market mechanisms, such as water auctions, also are starting to develop to help in the sharing of water between buyers and sellers. Similarly, public-to-public partnerships are being implemented to help government agencies better plan, manage, and share water resources and make investments in water infrastructure.