Laserfiche WebLink
<br />20 <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />rain/runoff events when soil moisture conditions in <br />nearby cultivated areas are favorable anyway. A great <br />deal of playa water accumulates in off-season <br />(non-growing season) times and is lost to evaporation <br />before it is needed. <br /> <br />Waters applied to fields from playas in off-season or <br />when soil moisture conditions are already good may <br />increase deep percolation and potentially store that <br />water for later use, but the actual benefits of such <br />practice may not accrue to the farmer applying the <br />water. <br /> <br />All of these constraints have mitigated against the <br />individual irrigator making the necessary investment in <br />capital and operational costs requi red to capture and <br />use playa waters. For that reason, some new incentives <br />or programs may be considered which would offset the <br />risk and nonrecoverable benefit (to the individual <br />irrigator) and provide a reasonable incentive to <br />encourage more widespread application of playa modifica- <br />tion and water use practice. Because of the uncertain- <br />ties and constraints on conjunctive playa water use for <br />irrigation, no estimates were made by the states of <br />potential future increases in playa water use for this <br />study. <br /> <br />b. Cultivated areas* - projections of up to 38 million acres in <br />the High Plains area during the Study <br />period to 2020 <br /> <br />* Further discussion and evaluation of methods for water conservation and <br />augmentation on cultivated lands are presented in Regional Study Element <br />B-3 reports. <br />