Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2003LA19B

Economic Assessments of Best Management Practices and Environmental Policy Options for Attaining the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Goal in Louisianas Major Milkshed

Institute: Louisiana
Year Established: 2003 Start Date: 2003-03-01 End Date: 2004-02-29
Total Federal Funds: $16,170 Total Non-Federal Funds: $55,663

Principal Investigators: Krishna Paudel, Wayne Gauthier

Project Summary: This proposal provides for a pilot economic assessment of costs and returns associated with satisfying a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) goal that would enhance water quality in Louisianas major milkshed. Assessments are made at both microeconomic and macroeconomic levels so as to quantify the economic effects upon both the individual dairy farmer and the general public. Economic assessments reflect the costs and returns associated with the use of varying combinations of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and policy instruments for attaining the TMDL goal in two segments of the Tangipahoa watershed. The overall objective is to preserve the positive economic benefits associated with maximizing milk production while enhancing the milksheds water quality. Satisfaction of the global objective in this pilot proposal creates information and methodologies important to a later expansion of the analysis to include the entire southeastern Louisiana milkshed.