--- title: "“Airbnb for Water” Teams With Association to Battle California Drought" id: "28223" type: "post" slug: "airbnb-for-water-teams-with-association-to-battle-california-drought" published_at: "2015-04-24T21:26:07+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T17:51:48+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/04/24/airbnb-for-water-teams-with-association-to-battle-california-drought/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/04/24/airbnb-for-water-teams-with-association-to-battle-california-drought.md" excerpt: "The company SWIIM is working with the Western Growers Association to get its irrigation system, which allows farmers to sell their excess water supplies, up and running in a part of the country that could really use it: the drought-stricken..." taxonomy_category: - "Business Development" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "disaster management" - "industry partners" - "local agriculture" - "trade associations" - "Water Rights" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "For-Profit CEO / President / Owner / Partner" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » “Airbnb for Water” Teams With Association to Battle California Drought Water—or, actually, the lack of it—is a pretty serious issue in California these days. [Just ask the almond growers](http://associationsnow.com/2015/04/thirsty-almonds-agriculture-groups-defend-the-nut-during-drought/) . The state’s severe drought is creating headaches, both political and ethical, for farmers. But a startup that’s getting association support could prove to be a big help during the extended dry spell. [The irrigation firm SWIIM (opens in a new tab)](http://www.swiimsystem.com/home.aspx) , or Sustainable Water & Innovative Irrigation Management, is currently promoting a service that allows farmers to sell off their unused water supplies to other farmers in need. The *San Francisco Chronicle* describes it as an “Airbnb for water.” The Western Growers Association, a trade group representing farmers in California and Arizona, is working with SWIIM to launch irrigation efforts in water-starved areas of the Golden State. SWIIM’s offering could help solve an inequity in the system, [the Chronicle notes (opens in a new tab)](http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Airbnb-for-water-seeks-to-help-farmers-transfer-6215032.php?cmpid=twitter-premium&t=cec24a919c00af33be) . Under decades-old state laws, California farmers who don’t use their full water allocations may later find their allocations cut. A solution is to allow a farmer with more water than needed in a given growing season to lease it to another farmer. “California law encourages water transfers as a means of providing for more efficient use of water,” Andy Sawyer of the California State Water Resources Control Board told the *Chronicle*. “The theory is if you have a willing buyer and a willing seller and they’re willing to transfer, it’s probably because the buyer is getting greater economic use out of it than the seller.” But it’s a lot more complicated than it sounds. For one thing, water use levels can be difficult to track, making a system like SWIIM’s particularly useful. In Colorado, where SWIIM is based, farmers have been able to make as much as $200 to $500 per acre by leasing water they’ve conserved. “Water is a real, tangible property right. It’s the highest valued asset on a farmer’s personal balance sheet,” [SWIIM CEO Kevin France told Fast Company (opens in a new tab)](http://www.fastcoexist.com/3044540/an-airbnb-for-water-could-help-farmers-with-californias-devastating-drought) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#disaster management](https://associationsnow.com/tag/disaster-management/) [#industry partners](https://associationsnow.com/tag/industry-partners/) [#local agriculture](https://associationsnow.com/tag/local-agriculture/) [#trade associations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/trade-associations/) [#Water Rights](https://associationsnow.com/tag/water-rights/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoPartnerships that Drive Success: ASAE Strategic Partnership AllianceAugust 26, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/26/partnerships-that-drive-success-asae-strategic-partnership-alliance/) - [VideoGenerate Leads and Brand Awareness: Master the ASAE MarketplaceJune 18, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/18/generate-leads-and-brand-awareness-master-the-asae-marketplace/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/) - [VideoExploring New Frontiers: Leadership, Resilience and the Future of SpaceflightAugust 27, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/27/exploring-new-frontiers-leadership-resilience-and-the-future-of-spaceflight/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F04%2F24%2Fairbnb-for-water-teams-with-association-to-battle-california-drought%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !