ABSTRACT
Forested watersheds are an especially important source of the nation’s supply of usable water. The bulk of past watershed management research has involved hydrologic studies of the physical relationships between management practices/hydrologic projects and subsequent flows of water. Management of forested watersheds for the production of water assumes that the benefits and costs of doing so can be readily identified, easily measured, and appropriately valued. Many times water problems are not really physical supply problems but are problems caused by inadequate procedures for allocating or reallocating water among users. Effective political and administrative structures are critical to the implementation of watershed management programs. Without effective administrative structures, program success is highly unlikely. Economic and policy research addressing the production and valuation of water from forested watersheds is deserving of special consideration given the importance of forested watersheds as a source of the nation’s residential and commercial water supplies.
