Surface water diversion impacts on farm income and sources of irrigation water: The case of the Grand Prairie in Arkansas

摘要

Alternative water conservation investment choices for the Grand Prairie Region of eastern Arkansas have been proposed. In particular, the cost-share and river water diversion components of the Grand Prairie Area Demonstration Project were analyzed in this study to determine their ramifications to area farms and water use. The cost-share alternative was deemed most effective given trade offs between ground and surface water use, income redistribution and farm income considerations. Effects of earlier reductions in rice production on the Arkansas economy may, however, justify water diversion and thus this study suggests the importance of further review of the Grand Prairie project.