Despite many years of existence, programs that allow transferable discharge permits to control water pollution have had quite limited success. This paper discusses a single trade that recently took place in the Lake Dillon drainage basin between point and nonpoint pollution sources. This trade...

The use of transferable discharge permits as a water pollution control policy is rapidly increasing in the United States. Drawing on evidence from existing water quality trading programs, this paper provides a taxonomy of the forms that such markets take. Four main structures are identified:...