Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2013AR345B

Economics of On-Farm Reservoirs across the Arkansas Delta Region: A conjunctive management approach to preserving groundwater and water quality

Institute: Arkansas
Year Established: 2013 Start Date: 2013-03-01 End Date: 2014-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $9,300 Total Non-Federal Funds: $18,724

Principal Investigators: Kent Kovacs, Kristofor Brye, Jennie Popp, Eric Wailes

Abstract: The Arkansas Delta is experiencing a depletion of the Alluvial aquifer that is unsustainable if pumping is not curtailed and no recharge mechanism for the groundwater is created. The project will analyze water supply conditions over 30 years as farmers produce crops to maximize net-returns using groundwater and on-farm reservoir water. Research will focus on economic-biophysical modeling to account for changes in water conditions over time across three watersheds in the Arkansas Delta in response to the presence of on-farm reservoirs. Sensitivity analyses will evaluate how alternative regulations and initial resource conditions affect net returns to production and evolving water conditions. The findings will be transferable throughout the Arkansas Delta to understand where regulations and conservation practices such as on-farm reservoirs are needed.