Economic Implications of Alternative Allocations of an Exhaustible Irrigation Water Supply

Abstract

Groundwater is the predominant source of water for the 7,969 thousand acres of irrigated agriculture in Texas [5, p. 4.5]. Over 65 percent of Texas' irrigated acreage is watered from the Ogallala formation of the Texas High Plains. As opposed to conditions in other aquifers, the Ogallala does not receive appreciable recharge. Although the aquifer underlies virtually all of the 28,125 square mile High Plains land area, in many areas the aquifer is relatively thin (less than 100 feet) and in all areas the underlying water supply is expected to be exhausted in the foreseeable future. The average annual decline of the water table underlying irrigated acres of the High Plains has been approximately 3.5 feet.

Groundwater Policy Research: Collaboration with Groundwater Conservation Districts in Texas

“…The implication of this study is that imposing conservation measures on a system in which resources are not misallocated will result in a loss of present income greater than the economic benefit of the conserved water resource. Lacewell and Grubb (1971) investigated the implications of alternative levels of irrigation water use from the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas High Plains. Their study focused on an individual's decision concerning how much land to irrigate each year and how to develop capitalvaluation estimates of the aquifer.…”

Model to Evaluate Alternative Irrigation Distribution Systems with an Exhaustible Water Supply

“…The crop used for this analysis was cotton which receive each level of irrigation are established, (4) sold for $0.27 per pound of lint. The wage rate was costs and returns are estimated for the year, (5) set at $2.00 per hour and several water resource bThe well depth or depth to redbed. CThe initial saturated thickness of the aquifer.…”

“…This means economic life of an exhaustible irrigation water yields are increased four to fivefold for some crops. supply [1,5]. However, it differs in that alternative…”

“…pumping cost taking into consideration the decreasing (5.57)* (10.15)* saturated thickness and increasing lift. 5 In the process R 2 .71 of literature review, it became increasingly evident F = 66.37 that pumping costs were highly variable for a given Where: saturated thickness and lift situation. Although WC = cost to pump one acre foot of water, pumping costs were not the principle focus of this and study, a close approximation of pumping costs by L = feet from the static water level to the water resource situation was necessary.…”