Irrigation Technology Transitions in the Mid-plains States: Implications for Water Conservation/Water Quality Goals and Institutional Changes

Authors

Glenn D. Schaible, Resource Economics Division, Economic Research Service, United States Department of AgricultureFollow
Marcel P. Aillery, Resource Economics Division, Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2003

Citation

Water Resources Development, Vol. 19, No. 1, 67–88, 2003

Comments

Copyright 2003 Taylor & Francis Ltd

Abstract

A Parks modified multinomial logit model is used to examine the influence of the agricultural economic environment on irrigation technology transitions in the mid-plains states. Simulation analyses assess expected agricultural water conservation and its implications for water quality/environmental goals and water institutional reform. Under baseline agri-economic assumptions, regional agricultural water use efficiency could improve from 2.3% to 9.8%. Technology-specific elasticities show that crop price effects on irrigation technology transitions are relatively inelastic. Results for the mid-plains states differ from those obtained for the Pacific north-west (an earlier study), implying that differentially endowed resource regions will likely require different resource conservation policy and institutional approaches.