Economic impacts of water-conservation measures in agriculture and energy within the upper Colorado River Basin
The demand for water is increasing in the western United States. Coupled with growing emphasis on development of the western resources, the limited supply of water will create an expanding competitive market for water by agricultural, energy, industrial, and municipal users. The Upper Colorado River Basin is faced with a question of what water-conservation measures in the agricultural and energy sectors can be instigated without reducing agricultural output. If the decision is made to adopt water-conservation-technology measures, this study addresses the impacts in the private and public-investment sectors under alternative public policies, i.e., regulation or non-regulation of salinity, to invest or not to invest in water-conservation measures such as evaporation suppression and phreatophyte control, and to invest or not to invest in salinity-control projects. A linear-programming model was developed to determine the optimal allocation of water between agriculture and energy as well as the trade off associated with the various policy alternatives of the public sector. The agricultural sector incorporated consumptive use of crops and various irrigation systems. The energy sector incorporated consumptive use of various water-conservation technologies and production capacities.
- OSTI ID:
- 5532493
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
AGRICULTURE
WATER RESOURCES
COLORADO RIVER BASIN
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
INDUSTRY
ALLOCATIONS
RESOURCES
290400* - Energy Planning & Policy- Energy Resources
291000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Conservation
320300 - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Industrial & Agricultural Processes