A libertarian approach to water policy

Presented in one long, excellent blog post (do read it), here is a partial response.  I’ll note that water policy has long been an area where libertarian insights are hardest to apply.  Property rights in water (to the molecules?  to a flow?  to water of a certain quality?  what is the natural unit?  …and don’t even get me started on water tables) are more of a fiction than, say, property rights to your toothbrush.  That makes administrative law more important, more valuable, and more of a balancing effect for water than for most other sectors of the economy.

If you wish to purge yourself of all libertarian tendencies, just study water law for a few months.

If you wish to increase your libertarian tendencies, study farm policy, corporate welfare, teachers’ unions, or anti-marijuana laws.  A stroll by the HUD building isn’t a bad refresher course either.