[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SCIENCE-BASED INNOVATION IN THE FIELD OF WATER RIGHTS

  (Mr. McNERNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to continue a series of cool 1-
minute science topics.
  Today, I will speak about science-based innovations in the field of 
water rights. Previously, conflicts over water resource management have 
reduced agricultural productivity and distracted farmers with lawsuits 
and litigation. But researchers at the University of Illinois at 
Urbana-Champaign have developed an online system for farmers to trade 
groundwater pumping rights.
  The National Science Foundation funded research that resulted in the 
creation of a new company, Mammoth Trading, which allows farmers to 
manage their lands and water rights to improve environmental 
conditions, improve resource allocation, and increase efficiency.
  These innovations demonstrate the power of science to increase 
productivity and positively influence the market. Congress should 
continue to encourage this type of ingenuity and innovation through R&D 
science funding.

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