Australian red claw crayfish Cherar guudricurinutus are receiving increased attention from aquaculturists, but have not been extensively investigated in terms of economic feasibility. In this study, research data from small pond experiments were combined with cost and return data to evaluate prospects for commercial production (50 ha scale) in the southeastern United States. Production data were derived from density experiments involving three initial stocking rates: "low" (l/m2), "medium" (3/mf) and "high" (5/m2). Experiments were conducted in nine 0.02 ha earthen ponds.Risk analysis was used to simulate the range of potential outcomes that might be faced by producers. Results indicate that economic potential is most sensitive to the cost of juveniles, the percentage of the harvest biomass in the larger size classes, the price these classes receive, and the length of the growing season.

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Wise interbasin management of Southeastern U.S. water resources is important for future development. Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa and Apalachicola-Flint-Chattahoochee River basins' water usage has evolved from power generation to multiple uses. Recreation and housing have become increasingly valuable components. Changing use patterns imply changing resource values. This study focused on six Alabama reservoirs, using contingent valuation questions in on-site, telephone, and mail surveys to estimate impacts on lakefront property values, recreational expenditures, and preservation values for scenarios of permanent changes to reservoir water quantity. As summer full-pool duration decreased, lakefront property value decreased, and as duration increased, property values increased, but at a lesser rate. Similar findings occurred for winter drawdown alternatives. Permanent one-foot reductions in summer full-pool water levels resulted in a 4 to 15 percent decrease in lakefront property values. Recreational expenditures decreased 4 to 30 percent for each one-foot lowering of reservoir water levels. Current nonusers of the six reservoirs showed strong preferences for protecting study reservoirs with willingness to pay values of $47 per household or approximately $29 million for the entire six-reservoir watershed basin area. Resource management based on historic use patterns may be inappropriate and more frequent and comprehensive valuation of reservoir resources is needed. (KEY TERMS: reservoir water level; recreation use value; lakefront property value; nonuse value; interbasin water transfer; contingent valuation.) 1 Paper No.

Climate change has the potential to have dramatic effects on the agricultural sector nationally and internationally as documented in many research papers. This paper reports on research that was focused on a specific crop growing area to demonstrate how farm managers might respond to climate‐induced yield changes and the implications of these responses for agricultural water use. The Hadley model was used to generate climate scenarios for important agricultural areas of Georgia in 2030 and 2090. Linked crop response models indicated generally positive yield changes, as increased temperatures were associated with increased precipitation and CO2. Using a farm management model, differences in climate‐induced yield impacts among crops led to changes in crop mix and associated water use; non‐irrigated cropland received greater benefit since irrigated land was already receiving adequate moisture. Model results suggest that farm managers will increase cropping intensity by decreasing fallowing and increasing double cropping; corn acreage decreased dramatically, peanuts decreased moderately and cotton and winter wheat increased. Water use on currently irrigated cropland fell. The potential for increased water use through conversion of agriculturally important, but currently non‐irrigated, growing areas is substantial.