Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2010TX375G

Institutional Mechanisms for Accessing Irrigation District Water

Institute: Texas
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2010 Start Date: 2010-09-01 End Date: 2012-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $102,443 Total Non-Federal Funds: $102,724

Principal Investigators: Ron Griffin

Abstract: Given (1) large water holdings by irrigation districts, (2) rising scarcity in areas where districts operate, (3) the high costs and coming impracticality of water supply expansions, and (4) the unrealized potential for irrigation districts to contribute solutions to the scarcity problem, the research proposes to study policy alternatives. Instances where districts currently participate in reallocations are typically failing to provide least-cost water or to optimize irrigator welfare. Options for better enlisting aid from irrigation districts will be inventoried and characterized. Economic analysis will be performed with the guiding objective of identifying solutions that can succeed in being efficient as well as attractive to district clients. Methods of microeconomic modeling, econometric analysis, and institutional economics will be applied.