An Economic Analysis of Alternative Agricultural Water Use Reduction Programs in the Flint River Basin

Abstract

This paper investigates the costs (both direct and indirect) to agricultural producers, the State of Georgia, and local economies of reducing agricultural irrigation in the Flint River Basin of southwest Georgia. A policy of paying producers to reduce their irrigated acreage is compared to a policy of implementing higher efficiency water conservation technologies in irrigation systems. The cost of reducing water usage per gallon is examined under both policies. The potential amount of water conserved for a fixed dollar amount is also calculated for both policies. This research finds that implementing irrigation efficiencies carries a lower cost for the State of Georgia and provides benefits to agricultural producers.