讨论了重新分配水资源的方法，包括水项目重新设计或重新授权、自愿出售或转让水权（出售总权利；费用所有权、许可证、股份和合同权利；租赁期限固定；紧急情况下租赁的选择权；短缺时共享权利；保护补偿；交换；以及合同和监管优先事项），以及水权的非自愿转让。影响再分配的法律和制度因素包括:水权的可转让性；打捞水的权利；收购、交易和处理成本；始发地和目的地条件；以及交通设施。本文介绍了当代美国与水有关的经济和社会权利转让的例子。 审查了以下适应水营销的法律改革:回收水的市场营销权；补给水的储存、转移或交换；获得储存和运输；水法条款的重新定义和执行；取消各州的消费性使用要求；允许出售或租赁联邦项目的权利；取消对水资源转让的领土限制。包括41篇参考文献。

Methods of reallocating water are discussed, including water project redesign or reauthorization, voluntary sale or transfer of water rights (sale of total entitlement; fee title, permits, shares, and contract rights; lease for a set term; option to lease during emergencies; sharing rights during shortages; conservation offsets; exchanges; and contractual and regulatory priorities), and involuntary transfers of water rights. Legal and institutional factors influencing reallocation addressed include the following: transferability of water rights; rights to salvage water; acquisition, transaction, and treatment costs; origin and destination conditions; and access to transport facilities. Legal, economic, social, and political uncertainties relating to water marketing and examples of contemporary water rights transfers in the western United States are described. The following legal reforms to accommodate water marketing are reviewed: right to market salvaged water; storage, transfer, or exchange of recharge waters; access to storage and transport; redefinition and enforcement of water law provisions; removing consumptive-use requirements for states; allowing sale or lease of rights in federal projects; and removing territorial limits on water transfers. Includes 41 references.