WSP06876 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The basic physical data indicated that the irrigated soil types could be grouped into four crop y.ield classes. Each of the different soil classes was analyzed for the levels of irrigation improvement and combinations of irrigation methods. Crop budgets were developed for the four soil classes and the eight major crops which include over 90 percent of all crops inventoried. The types of benefit items that were measured on the crop budgets were irrigation labor cost savings, operation and maintenance cost savings, energy and fuel cost savings, machinery labor cost savings, fertilizer cost savings, and crop yield changes. Data was then analyzed on a watershed basis according to the number of acres of each class of soil. Downstream Benefits The downstream benefit figure for 1980 agreed to by the Colorado River Salinity Control Interagency Committee is $499,000 in average annual benefits for each miligram per liter (mg/l) decrease in salinity concentra- tion of the Colorado River at Imperial Dam. The $499,000 converts to $52.00 of average annual benefits per ton of salt reduction that was used in the economic analysis to obtain downstream benefits by watershed. Other Benefits Other benefits accruing because of the improvement program are employ- ment benefits and externalities. Employment benefits accrue through employment of otherwise unemployed or underemployed labor resources during installation. Externalities include two types of benefits: the first type "stems from" program implementation and the second type is "induced by" the pro- gram. Benefits that stem from implementation arise from increased produc- tion of goods afforded by the improvement program. With this increased supply of goods, new demands are placed upon the local transporting, 001217 II-14