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conservation." Implied in this statement is the recognition that water con- servation and use improvements do not come free. An underlying truism to the above statement is that conservation practices need to be cost-effective, giving the farmer a fair return on his investment. There are many available and emerging agricultural and water use manage- ment practices and technologies which show significant potential for cost effective water conservation and improved water use efficiencies in the High Plains area. Some are not presently being widely used. Other potential methods are still in the research or demonstration stage and should be avail- able for wide-spread use in this decade. Most practices and technologies can be applied on the farm, with individual farmers realizing the net bene- fits of the application. Some would require incentives other than a favor- able cost/benefit return before the farmer, either individually or as a group would be justified in putting them into practice. Still others may require some regulatory action by government to achieve implementation. This Report organizes an assessment of a large number of potentially effective agricultural and water use management practices for the High Plains. All practices are not equally significant. All practices are not equally applicable to all areas of the High Plain. All practices are not equally cost effective. All possible practices are not even listed, as there are many with unique or peculiar relationships to a specific crop, soil, cli- mate or other variable which renders them too numerous for the purposes of thi s study. The organization and assessment of the more relevant practices discussed will be in relation to several critical critera. Some of the more important considerations in assessing the relative effectiveness and applicability of practices will be: 1) types and amounts of potential water saving (recover- able vs. nonrecoverable less reductions), 2) status of practices or tech- nology as to availability, ongoing research, field testing, etc., 3) probable effects on crop yields and production costs, 4) any significant energy requirements or changes, 5) changes in directly related input variables such as added labor, capital (equipment), fertilization, etc., 6) any soil, 2 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I