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Economic Implications of Alternative Allocations of an Exhaustible Irrigation Water Supply

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

Ronald D. Lacewell
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University
H. W. Grubb
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas Tech University

Extract

Groundwater is the predominant source of water for the 7,969 thousand acres of irrigated agriculture in Texas [5, p. 4.5]. Over 65 percent of Texas' irrigated acreage is watered from the Ogallala formation of the Texas High Plains. As opposed to conditions in other aquifers, the Ogallala does not receive appreciable recharge. Although the aquifer underlies virtually all of the 28,125 square mile High Plains land area, in many areas the aquifer is relatively thin (less than 100 feet) and in all areas the underlying water supply is expected to be exhausted in the foreseeable future. The average annual decline of the water table underlying irrigated acres of the High Plains has been approximately 3.5 feet.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 1971

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References

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2.Hughes, William F. and Harman, Wyatte L., Projected Economic Life of Water Resources, Subdivision Number 1 High Plains Underground Water Reservoir, Texas Agr. Exp. Sta. Tech. Mono. 6, Dec. 1969.Google Scholar
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