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AGRICULTURAL WATER CONSERVATION:
ECONOMICS AND POLICY
ACF Stakeholders Governing BoardAlbany, GA – December 8, 2011
Mark H. MastersAlbany State University
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Growth in Irrigation
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A Snapshot Value of Irrigation
-$300.00
-$200.00
-$100.00
$0.00
$100.00
$200.00
$300.00
$400.00
$ pe
r Acr
e
Irrigated $257.03 $246.29 $350.31Non-Irrigated -$209.18 -$128.10 -$251.40
Corn Cotton Peanut
$31.18/inch $33.58/inch $57.31/inchCaution: This is an average and irrigation is NOT a linear function
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Lower Flint-Ochlockonee Planning Council 14 Counties All or part of
13 HUC 8 Watersheds
Ag irrigation is predominant use of water 658,561
acres Endangered
species and critical habitat
GA – FLA – AL
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Farm Gate ValueLower Flint = $1.820 billion
GA = $11.5 billion
Row & Forage Crops31%
Fruits and Nuts3%
Vegetables14%
Ornamental Hort.6%
Forestry & Products
3%
Livestock & Aquaculture
9%
Poultry & Eggs23%
Ag Tourism & Other11%
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Farm Gate Value
Row - Forage Vegetables % Irrig Rel
% Ag Tax
Baker $86,979,602 $38,298,500 $103,630 53.3% 68.0%
Calhoun $75,711,348 $31,795,329 $0 61.2% 43.5%
Colquitt $389,231,209 $50,013,893 $108,046,592 63.5% 15.6%
Decatur $206,547,141 $50,814,251 $79,234,866 70.7% 20.2%
Dougherty $52,715,118 $9,856,438 $159 57.8% 20.0%
Early $88,973,708 $55,507,969 $0 58.6% 21.4%
Grady $143,369,003 $16,910,334 $4,565,779 18.1% 28.7%
Lee $59,348,004 $28,627,451 $629,970 50.7% 19.1%
Miller $78,691,597 $48,734,639 $5,193,565 68.2% 42.1%
Mitchell $266,507,069 $57,949,822 $35,137,437 54.2% 36.0%
Seminole $79,961,262 $48,351,178 $7,709,923 64.8% 28.7%
Terrell $61,448,617 $35,020,050 $343,080 51.9% 43.8%
Thomas $105,775,140 $31,006,949 $4,435,986 38.3% 25.6%
Worth $122,447,414 $56,327,671 $20,215,765 63.0% 38.4%
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Challenges/Opportunities Tri-State Water Conflict
Litigation Negotiation
US Fish and Wildlife Critical Habitat Low flow criteria?
Regional Water Planning Consumptive Use Assessments Gap Analysis Management Options
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Milestones in Management Began issuing withdrawal permits for
agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988
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EPD Issues & Manages
Agricultural Water Withdrawal Permits
• Required since 1988• Specifies location of
withdrawal• Types
GW – Wells SW – Streams, ponds, reservoirsWell to Pond
• Irrigated field location NOT specified
Change location and area each year
Maximum irrigated area listed
• Withdrawal quantity NOT specified Change days of
irrigation each year Maximum pumping
rate listed
15,600 wells (blue) - Floridan and other aquifers16,700 pumps (green) - farm ponds and streams * fall, 2008; includes current applications
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Milestones in Management Began issuing withdrawal permits for
agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988
Moratorium placed on new permits in SWGA (1999)
Passed Flint River Drought Protection Act in 2000 – in response to projected low flows
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Flint River Drought Protection Act
An auction based program designed to temporarily remove irrigated acreage form production in order to protect streamflow
Predicated on drought declaration from EPD Director in consultation with State Climatologist (March 1)
Inaugural auction held March 15, 2001 33,101 acres retired from irrigated production Average bid: $136/acre $4.5 million paid to growers
Auction held again in 2002 40,894 acres retired Average bid: $128/acre $5.2 million paid to growers
Major changes for Act after Flint River Water Dev. and Conservation Plan passed March 2006
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Milestones in Management Began issuing withdrawal permits for
agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988
Moratorium placed on new permits in SWGA (1999)
Passed Flint River Drought Protection Act in 2000 – in response to projected low flows
Passed Agricultural Water Use Program 2003 (metering) – establish individual reasonable use and increase knowledge for planning
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SWCC Installs & Manages
Agricultural WaterUse Meters
Required effective July, 2009Started installation
2004 SWCC manages installation
Grandfather permits – SWCC installs
> 2003 permits – owner responsible
Field Locations Mapped Specific area and
meter location Wetted area
Records water applied to field, not necessarily water withdrawn from source
GW – Wells SW – Streams, ponds,
reservoirs Well to Pond
Georgia Forestry Commission
Visits fields annually Records amount
applied (acre-in)
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Milestones in Management Began issuing withdrawal permits for
agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988
Moratorium placed on new permits in SWGA (1999)
Passed Flint River Drought Protection Act in 2000 – in response to projected low flows
Passed Agricultural Water Use Program 2003 (metering) – establish individual reasonable use and increase knowledge for planning
Passed Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Planning Act 2004
Lower Flint River Regional Water Development and Conservation Plan – 2006 – permit moratorium
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Milestones in Management Water Stewardship Act – 2010
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Milestones in Management Water Stewardship Act – 2010 Regional Water Planning Councils – current
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Priority Management PracticesMCH
• Support Tier 1 and 2 conservation activities
• Encourage point source discharges for major facilities
• Study new and/or enhancement of existing storage reservoirs
• Implement new and/or enhance existing surface water storage
• Utilize and improve upon reservoir release operations
• Advocate for changes to the Corps Water Control Manual
• Improve water quality monitoring
UFL• Improve agricultural
water use metering program
• Suspend irrigation only through Flint River Drought Protection Act
• Evaluate storage options in Upper Flint for supply and flow augmentation
LFO• Continue improving ag
water use efficiency through innovation
• Evaluate reservoir storage options in Flint River Basin for flow augmentation
• Replace surface water withdrawals with groundwater withdrawals
• Continue enforcement of existing permits, regulations and implementation of existing plans and practices
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Ag Management Options – Current and Future?
Conservation Irrigation scheduling, precision application
strategies, conservation tillage, etc…. Flint River Drought Protection Act Emergency Powers Permit Modification and/or Revocation Augmentation Statute Changes Demand Management = Exposure to
Individuals…To What End?
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Mark H. MastersAlbany State University
Georgia Water Planning & Policy Center [email protected]
229-430-2900 x36
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Drought Declaration Deadline
Mid-Season Management?
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IMPLAN ResultsOutput (1.25) Employment (1.23)
Direct Total Direct Total
Ich – 20% -$20,942,298 -$26,248,678 -282 -348
Ich – 30% -$40,106,216 -$50,309,324 -509 -632
Ich – 40% -$56,503,004 -$70,879,641 -710 -886
Output (1.43) Employment (1.49)
Direct Total Direct Total
Spr – 20% -$22,745,048 -$32,536,097 -236 -351
Spr – 30% -$55,756,953 -$78,949,839 -738 -1,001
Spr – 40% -$78,573,824 -$111,457,973 -1,032 -1,408
Multiplier