The objective of this publication is to define the analytical terms that characterize water management and present case studies to illustrate those terms. The comparison of water use and water footprint among specialty crop growers is not only affected by the production system (including species and management strategies) but by geography and season. This document builds upon published models of representative plant production systems. These models include container production using recycled water in the mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, southwest, and Pacific northwest regions of the U.S. and greenhouse production implementing rainfall capture and overhead and ebb/flood irrigation strategies in the southeast.