Laserfiche WebLink
<br />O:l~1Q() <br />!J '-, .:;. ... '.' ~ ) <br /> <br />Typical farmi ng operati ons for each state subregi on, croppi ng system <br />and agricultural/irrigation management systems were defined by the state <br />researchers, to include those conservation practices and water use management <br />practices already in common use, as part of the Baseline assumptions. Each <br />state estimated the rate at which water use efficiency improvements would be <br />adopted by farmers in the state. The General Contractor reviewed estimates <br />of the efficiencies of technologies adopted to provide some consistency among <br />state results. On the basis of these assumptions, the Baseline portrays the <br />projected changes in the High Plains agricultural sector as water availabi- <br />1 ity decl ines. <br /> <br />VOLUNTARY WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY (MS-1): <br />Encourage users to practice conservation through appli- <br />cation of proven technology; provide incentives for the <br />farmer to conserve (proven technology, not potent i a 1 <br />future technology, was added as criteria). <br /> <br />This first departure from the "no new change" assumptions of the Base- <br />line postulated a set of voluntary measures directed toward greater water <br />demand reduct i on at the farm 1 eve 1 with accelerated and wi despread adopt ion <br />of new techniques by farmers stimulated by publicly provided incentives. <br />These incentives would take the form of vigorous new public supported infor- <br />mational and demonstration programs to encourage water conservation; innova- <br />tive programs of tax credits, accelerated depreciation, loans, grants or <br />other financial incentives to induce adoption of new technological appl ica- <br />tions, new water application efficiency measures; and, new crops or cropping <br />systems aimed at slowing the rate of ground water withdrawals. This would be <br />coupled with increased agricultural and irrigation research and demonstration <br />in development of crop strains requiring less water; and improved technology <br />for reducing evapotranspi ration losses and other on-farm water saving tech- <br />niques for possible use during the planning period. The key to the strategy <br />was still voluntary farmer decisions, but it differed from the Baseline by <br />modifyi ng the fa rmer 's economi c behavi or by the offer of "ca rrots", but not <br />the use of "sticks." <br /> <br />The most likely methods and extent of increased public sector programs <br />for encouragement of new water conservation and/or water use efficiency <br /> <br />9 <br />