The WestWater Team

Harry Seely, M.S.
Water Resource Economist

Mr. Seely has twelve years of experience in agricultural and water resource economic analysis. He holds a M.S. in natural resource and agricultural economics from Oregon State University and a B.S. in economics from Pacific Lutheran University. Over the last decade, Mr. Seely has applied mathematical programming and econometric analysis techniques to estimate the value of water. In addition, he has developed a variety of economic models as part of interdisciplinary teams to assess the regional economic costs and benefits of water quality, development and reallocation projects throughout the West.

In recent analyses, Mr. Seely has developed and utilized market information, simulation models, and econometric techniques to estimate the market value of water for federal and state agencies, nonprofits, and private industry in support of water trading activities. The valuations have spanned a wide variety of water uses including irrigation, municipal, industrial, hydroelectric generation, and fish propagation. One recent interdisciplinary team study included an assessment of the feasibility, marketability, and value of treating oil and gas water for alternative uses in southeast New Mexico. Other recent studies have assessed the direct and indirect economic benefits of improvements in water supply reliability to water users within the Yakima Basin, Washington and the economic costs of restrictions on irrigation drain water discharge affecting more than 100,000 acres in California's Central Valley.