Water leases and limited irrigation: opportunities and challenges for Colorado's South Platte Basin
Date
2008-05
Authors
Pritchett, James, author
Thorvaldson, Jennifer, author
Hansen, Neil, author
Jha, Ajay, author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Burgeoning populations are increasing municipal water demand in the West, a phenomenon that is changing rural and urban economies. Agricultural water is a preferred source for meeting growing demands, but transfers often require formerly irrigated land to be fallowed, removing a key industry from rural regional economies. It is no surprise that large-scale transfers are greeted with highly-charged, emotionally contentious debates. One alternative to 'buy and dry' strategies is gaining interest. The alternative allows farmers to lease a portion of their water portfolio to cities. Leased water is generated as farmers fallow their land on a rotational basis or reduce the consumptive use of their cropping operations by limiting irrigation. Examples of limited irrigation strategies include timing irrigations during vegetative growth and adopting innovative crop rotations. Importantly, the limited irrigation cropland remains in production so that rural economies suffer reduced impacts vis a vis buy and dry activity. But will farmers adopt limited irrigation strategies if water lease markets materialize? The objectives of this research are to examine producers' potential for adoption of limited irrigations strategies and their perceptions of lease arrangements. Potential adoption is gauged from a producer survey of South Platte River Basin farmers in Colorado, a basin experiencing significant population growth in the midst of significant agriculture production. The results of this indicate that more than 60% of the respondents are willing to lease garnering between 50,000 and 60,000 acre feet of potential water supplies.
Description
Presented at Urbanization of irrigated land and water transfers: a USCID water management conference on May 28-31, 2008 in Scottsdale, Arizona.