Projecting Land Use Changes Associated with Small Watershed Development

摘要

This study determines if projected land use changes and their benefit estimates are biased in favor of project development. Both the base period land use estimates and the projected land use changes in a sample of 40 projects in two contrasting geographical regions were found to be reliable. Four alternative land use projection techniques examined in the study did not improve upon the reliability of Soil Conservation Service (SCS) land use projections. The SCS land use projection procedures for small watershed areas provide reliable measures of land use trends for estimating land use benefits due to project measures.