Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Thursday, October 16, 2008 Meeting called to order by chair Bob Hearne. Welcome extended to visitors. Appreciation given to Bureau for hosting meeting. Rob gave remarks about the meeting arrangements and gave welcome. LeRoy gave update on AES western directors meetings and initiatives, including the workshop for western water issues. Focus of the meeting is directed towards the review and further development of the project renewal proposal. Mention was made that it would be good to expand involvement in the future project, in particular, attract the interest of some civil engineers to the project. Discussion moved on to identifying and developing the new project objectives. Eiswerth noted that it would be important to show linkages across objectives, in particular Obj 1 and 2. Edna suggested adding a subtask to show strategies at different scales. Breakout sessions conducted on the proposed objectives: purpose to formalize objective statements, methods, and milestones. Potential People for each of the four proposed objectives: 1. Farm: Grant, Dannele, Ray, Brian, Texas, California, Bill Gouden, 2. Modeling: Nate, Chris, Jeff, Grant, Brian, Ari, Frank, Bill Goulden, Texas Tech, ERS 3. Climate Change: Brian, Dannele, Jeff, Mark, Chris, Bill Goulden 4. Policy & Institutions: Bob, Gopal, Edna, Jeff, Ray Huffaker, Bonnie, Brian, Frank, Ari Reports from breakout sessions presented and discussed. State reports given for the states present. Friday, October 18, 2008 Leroy lead discussion of proposal review process: Breakout Session to formulate finalized proposal objectives Business Meeting conducted Elections: Nicholas Brozovic elected to join the steering committee (Garth, chair; Chris, vice-chair, and Nick, secretary) Next Years Meeting Site: Tucson is recommended location. Proposed meeting dates: October 15, 16, 2009. Meeting adjourned.

Objective 1: Develop and evaluate alternative technologies to monitor environmental effects of water allocation and management New Mexico Several invited presentations were given regarding climate change research on impacts and adaptation, including the Far West Texas Climate Change Conference convened by Texas State Senator Shapleigh and the Texas Water Development Board. Research regarding economically sound measures to promote water sharing among water users in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Study is being used to forecast water demand by irrigated agriculture as part of a shared vision to support sustained water demands for urban, agricultural, and environmental uses in Texas Lower Colorado Basin. Basin Scale research on the effectiveness of public subsidies of drip irrigation technology in the lower Rio Grande Basin of New Mexico. Results show that higher levels of public subsidies of drip irrigation can Kansas Stated choice experiments were conducted with wastewater treatment plant managers to elicit their willingness to participate in a Water Quality Trading (WQT) market under different market rules conditions. Such a market would allow wastewater treatment plants to offset a portion of their nutrient discharges by buying water quality credits from farmers. Buying credits then becomes a substitute for investments in more sophisticated treatment technologies. However, the rules of trading may change the desire of plants to participate; for example, firms may need to devote significant staff time to administering and monitoring the contracts with farmers. The choice experiments were administered via in-person interviews with 45 plant managers across the state of Kansas in early 2008. Managers were presented with several hypothetical choice sets; in each choice set they were asked to select one of two possible opportunities to buy water quality credits or else select a non-participation option. Each opportunity to buy credits was associated with a different price of credits and different market rules. Kansas researchers have developed an Excel version of the Water Allocation Risk Analysis Tool (WARAT). This tool allows producers to evaluate the risk of multiple land-water allocation options associated with deficit irrigation. In a holistic approach, the tool incorporates scientifically based information with a producers site-specific knowledge to assist them in making informed cropping decisions under a variety of water use scenarios. Nebraska ET Measurement Activities: Eddy covariance towers and Bowen ratio equipment have been used to measure the water use of a dryland cropping system, irrigated corn and soybeans, and native pasture. Data collection continues to provide historical data for varying precipitation and land use patterns. Additional equipment is being installed to measure water use of a wider array of crops and invasive trees. Research is also underway to evaluate the use of satellite image analysis to estimate evapotranspiration at the watershed scale. Initial research shows that the SEBAL and METRIC models offer promise but require local calibration in semi-humid and semi-arid climates that experience significant precipitation between passes of the satellite and require modification of assumptions of the water use of the warmest pixels in the satellite scene. Studies are also underway to investigate the analysis of satellite images during the corn growing season. Modeling Activities: Evapotranspiration data are being used to improve estimates of water use for irrigation management and watershed modeling. Four types of models are being evaluated: simple irrigation water requirement models, daily soil water balance models, watershed-scale models and models used to interpolate between dates of satellite images. Results show that models are reasonably accurate for irrigated conditions. The watershed-scale models and the irrigation water requirement models overestimated evapotranspiration for dryland conditions for many conditions. The daily soil water balance performed better for dryland conditions and for the non-growing season when crop residue shades and insolates the soil surface. Objective 2: Quantify comparative economic values of water in alternative uses Hawaii Research centered on a critical aspect of water allocation and management in Hawaii: setting in stream flow standards and designing institutions for the implementations of set standards and designing institutions for the implementation of set standards. We conducted a comprehensive review, discussion, and analysis of the rationale for establishing in stream flow standards. We focused our study on the experience of Hawaii. The findings suggested that the old idea of beneficial use grounded in the notion of consumptive uses such as minimum in stream water levels essential to the preservation of native flora and fauna and traditional and customary Hawaiian practices such as taro farming. Our study showed that a number of private ditch companies on all islands of Hawaii have been diverting substantial quantities of water from the 376 or so streams in the state to meet urban, agricultural, and commercial uses for the past several decades. A case in point is the 165 million gallons of water per day diverted from the 8 streams in east Maui by a subsidiary of Alexander and Baldwin to major outside users such as Maui Land and Pineapple Co. Inc., and Hawaiian commercial sugar company, and the Kula farmers and ranchers. It was found that a major reduction in the diversion of water from the 8 streams and the subsequent cut back in water supply to former users could have a serious adverse impact on the islands economy, including large lay-offs of workers. A similar situation could occur in the case of commercial and urban users of water depending on private ditch companies for their water supply. Thus, the need does exist for the Commission on Water Resources Management to initiate a comprehensive study of the economic impacts of setting in stream flow standards prior to developing and implementing a statewide policy for setting standards. Specific institutional mechanisms for implementing stream flow standards also have to be developed. Idaho Our research and out- reach efforts in Idaho have focused on four different aspects of water policy and management: Climate change. Non-market value and impact of water related uses. Irrigation demand. Hydro/economic externalities Kansas A positive mathematical programming (PMP) model was developed to quantify the impact of corn-based ethanol production on the Ogallala aquifer. The model captures the effect of increased incentives to grow corn due to increased prices from ethanol demand. Corn is more water-intensive than alternative irrigated crops in the region, implying a greater strain on the already declining aquifer over time. The model was calibrated to base period (1999-2003) prices and land use and then was simulated over a 60-year horizon with both base period and recent (2006-07) prices reflecting the market impacts of ethanol development. Sheridan county, Kansas, was used as the study region, as it is representative of the Kansas portion of the Ogallala aquifer. A hydrologic module was included in the model to update the water in storage in the aquifer on an annual basis, using a single cell aquifer model and hydrologic data from the Kansas Geological Survey. Results imply a significant shift in crop acreages due to the impact of ethanol, leading to an accelerated decline rate of the aquifer. Nebraska Water Optimizer. Water Optimizer is a tool for analyzing alternative water management strategies when the available irrigation water supply is limited. It is a field-level, single-season program which computes how many acres to irrigate, which crops to produce and how much water to apply to each crop in a normal weather year. Eight crops (corn, soybeans, wheat, grain sorghum, alfalfa, edible beans, sugar beets and sunflowers) are considered for irrigation levels ranging from zero (dryland) to fully watered. It is a non-linear optimization model, built in an Excel spreadsheet. Water Optimizer was originally developed in 2005-2006. In 2008 a multi-year version of the model was developed which solves the problem dynamically over a five-year period. Users of Water Optimizer who want to evaluate alternative strategies using default prices, costs, water requirements and yields need to input only the following data for their field: county where the field is located, dominant soil type (coarse, medium or fine textured), field size in acres, irrigation system type (center pivot or gravity at three alternative efficiency levels), irrigation energy source (electric, diesel, propane, gas or natural gas), and their annual water allocation entered in acre-inches per acre. Users who believe that their situation may differ from the default values by enough to cause different best management strategies can easily change any of the following parameters: crop prices, fully-watered crop yields, cost items for crops and cost items for irrigation. In 2008 Water Optimizer was used to evaluate alternative management strategies for unprecedented relative prices. Although all commodity prices increased in absolute terms, the most important relative change was an increase in the price of wheat relative to corn and soybeans. Wheat became competitive as the most profitable irrigated crop for Western Nebraska, especially under water limiting conditions, for the first time in recent history. Although corn remained the most profitable crop when a full irrigation supply was available, it became profitable to shift some acres to soybeans or wheat rather than deficit irrigate corn at less than 80 to 90 percent of a full water supply. For more traditional price scenarios deficit irrigation of corn was frequently the preferred alternative until water supplies dropped to 60 percent of the irrigation requirement of corn. The Water Optimizer model may be downloaded from the University of Nebraska Extension website: http://extension-water.unl.edu Reservoir Management. The amount of water stored in Lake McConaughy reached a historical low in the Fall of 2004. In 2005 and in years since then, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (CNPPID) irrigators received less than a full supply of Lake McConaughy water for the first time in over 50 years of operation. Electric power interests, recreation interests and the regional economy have also been adversely affected. The central policy question is what, if anything should the State of Nebraska do to minimize the adverse impacts from this situation and/or prevent it from developing again in the future? Phase I of this project, conducted in 2005 and 2006, addressed some of the most urgent concerns associated with this question. It focused on how water shortages have impacted the recreation industry or the regional economy and on whether there were any short-term water management opportunities for mitigating such impacts which were economically justifiable. The major finding from Phase I was that that the welfare affects of different policy options depended substantially on how quickly the reservoir was likely to refill in each case. Phase II of the study was completed in 2008. This study used a statistical hydrology approach to determine the reservoir refill probability distribution. A two stage ordinary least squares regression analysis found that nearly 90 percent of the variation in Lake McConaughy inflows can be explained by current year runoff (snowmelt), upstream storage and upstream irrigation development. The statistical results were used to simulate reservoir inflows and refill probabilities. Results suggest that there is a 70 percent chance that it will take more than five years for the reservoir to reach 65 percent of capacity, which is the ideal level for recreation. This statistical model was also used to estimate the economic effects on recreation, hydropower and irrigation of policies to augment inflows to the reservoir, or temporarily reduce releases. The model shows that if policy makers want to increase inflows to the reservoir by reducing upstream irrigation an allocation approach would be less costly than reducing irrigated acres. However, neither method of limiting upstream irrigation was found to be an economically cost efficient solution. Results suggest that reducing releases would produce a greater net economic benefit than increasing inflows, and would be economically efficient in some cases. The cost to irrigators of reduced releases is relatively low because many irrigators have utilized wells and local transfers in the delivery area to mitigate economic effects. Illinois During the period from October 2007 to September 2008, research efforts focused on watershed-scale spatial analysis of surface water-groundwater interactions. This research was funded by an NSF Coupled Natural-Human Systems grant. One MS thesis and two PhD dissertations are in progress in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois. Research collaborations with economists, hydrologists, and sociologists from Illinois, Michigan, and Texas are underway. Issues that are currently being analyzed include groundwater management in the Republican River Basin in Nebraska and salmonid habitat preservation in coastal California. Preliminary results suggest that alternative water-use reduction policies in the Republican River Basin have quite different welfare impacts on farmers. Texas Current efforts focus on developing and implementing computer models which provide water-resource planners and managers economic and financial information which facilitate their active planning, evaluating the effectiveness of proposed agriculture irrigation water conservation best management practices, policies and feasibility of reclaimed water use, and flood management recommendations. Specifically scientists are (a) facilitating improved raw-water rate analyses for irrigation districts, (b) calculating the economics of best management practices (BMPs) which reduce nutrient and sediment loads into reservoirs, (c) investigating the presence of economies of size with life-cycle costs across potable-water treatment facilities, (d) estimating the economics associated with a beneficial-pest management program aimed at reducing infestation of a water-thirsty invasive plant species (i.e., Aundo donax) along the Rio Grande and related riparian areas, and (e) evaluating potential water saving effectiveness and economic benefits of proposed agricultural irrigation practices in arid regions of the Rio Grande basin. Impacts from these efforts are broad and include, respectively: + a changed philosophy which is improving the accuracy of financial projections and conditions of several irrigation districts as comprehensive information is now included in raw-water rate analyses and other financial planning; + development of a comprehensive method to determine of the optimal mix of BMPs to improve reservoir storage capacity and water quality; + robust analyses of alternative water-supply technologies, enabling planners and engineers insights into true economic and financial costs of potable water output; and + the unique establishment of the economic and financial costs and benefits of simultaneously saving water and removing an invasive plant species. Objective 3: Assess the effectiveness of alternative management institutions, laws, and policies for water allocation AZ Long-term drought and over-allocated water supplies have created challenges for water resource managers and water users such as cities, irrigations districts and habitat protection programs. We have been modeling how temperature and precipitation patterns influence market prices for water. Using data from 1987 to 2007, we empirically model price trends in the western U.S. In partnership with federal agencies, we also focus on evaluating dry year water supply reliability tools and the net benefits of various strategies to promote and implement state, regional, and national policies for supply reliability during dry periods. Research conducted by Arizona faculty has examined the economic benefits of enhanced and more reliable surface flows to improve urban and agricultural water supply and water-dependent wildlife habitat and recreation, with consideration of impacts on site users, non-use values and local economies and with an emphasis on the effects created by climate-related water supply variability. A guide to various economic tools is under preparation for use by agricultural, municipal, state, tribal and federal water managers. Tribal water settlements and government-to-government agreements involving tribes are found to be a key factor in regional water supplies and management. NM Research is underway to develop a decision support system for water allocation and development for irrigated agriculture in Afghanistan. Research is part of a USAID contract to examine water and agricultural futures for Afghanistan. As part of this work, work is underway to inform the design of sustainable water allocations, institutions, and infrastructure. Kansas Researchers from Kansas and Texas conducted a survey of policy makers, state water managers, and other stakeholders which identified preferred policy alternatives for extending the economic life of the Ogallala aquifer. Based on the identified policies, dynamic models of producer choice have been developed to compare the costs and benefits of the policy options. Nebraska In 2008 we completed an evaluation of cap and trade as a groundwater management strategy in the Republican Basin where the rights to pump have been capped, but trade between wells has been allowed only under very limited circumstances. We found that the impact of a cap and trade water market depended on the size of the allocation and on the characteristics of the land and irrigation systems involved in the trade. Economic benefits from trade ranged from $40 to $150 per acre foot traded, from $16 to $150 per acre foot reduction in consumptive use, and from $6 to $18 per acre of irrigated land in the region. The highest benefits occurred at relatively high allocations which capped withdrawals at 65 to 75 percent of the expected unrestricted pumping level. North Dakota Research efforts focused on the analysis of local management institutions, with a focus on the Red River Basin. An analysis of stakeholder preferences for water management in the Red River Basin used survey data from three groups, local political leaders, informed stakeholders, and random residents. Results demonstrated that preferences were not significantly different across three stakeholder groups,. Random residents demonstrated high willingness to pay for certain recreation and water quality attributes. DEA analysis is being used to measure effectiveness of conservation districts. This measure of effectiveness will then be analyzed as a function of district attributes. 

Arizona Colby, B.G. Assessing the Value of Adjudications in a World of Uncertainty: An Economic Perspective, University of Denver Law Review, 2007. Bark-Hodgins, D Osgood, b. Colby et al. Habitat Preservation and Restoration: Preferences for Habitat Quality, Ecological Economics, 2008 (in press). Frisvold, G. and J. Reeves. "Trends in Water Conservation Among U.S. Cotton Producers," Poster Presentation, World Cotton Research Conference, September 10-14, 2007m Lubbock, TX. Frisvold, G. and K. Emerick. Rural-Urban Water Transfers with Applications to the U.S.-Mexico Border Region. In A. Dinar, J. Albiac, and J. Sanchez-Soriano (eds.) Game Theory and Policy Making in Natural Resources and the Environment. New York: Routledge Press. (2008). New Mexico Hurd and Coonrod, 2008. Climate Change Risks New Mexicos Waterways: Its Byways and Its Flyways. Water Resources Impact, 10(4), pp 5-11. Hurd, B. 2008. Challenges of Adapting to a Changing Climate. UCLA Journal of Environmental Policy, 26, 77-92. Alimova, N., Lillywhite, J., B.H. Hurd, E. Hadjigeorgalis. 2008. High Desert Wine: A Discrete Choice Analysis of Consumer Preferences for New Mexican Wine, Journal of Food Products Marketing, 14(1), pp. 1-10. Hurd, B.H. and J. Coonrod. 2007. Climate Change and Its Implications for New Mexicos Water Resources and Economic Opportunities, New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, 52nd Annual New Mexico Water Conference, p. 33. Hurd, Brian H., L. Allen Torell, and Kirk C. McDaniel. 2007. Ranch and Rangeland Management: Perspectives of the Rangeland Economy and its Relationship to Weather Information, Research Report #759, Agricultural Experiment Station, New Mexico State University. Hurd, B. and J. Coonrod. In Review. Management and Policy Implications for Managing Water Resources under Climate Change, Climate Research. Rango, A., B. Hurd, D. Gutzler, and E. Vivoni. In Review. Effects of Climate Change on Mountain Hydrology and Water Management in the Upper Rio Grande Watershed: Assessment Methods and Strategies, Climate Research. Ward, F.A. and M. Pulido-Velazquez, Water Conservation in Irrigation Can Increase Water Use, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, in press, 2008. Ward, F.A. and M. Pulido-Velazquez, Pricing and Cost Recovery at the Basin Scale, Journal of Environmental Management, in press, 2008. Ward, F.A., M.J. Kealy, G. Guy, and L. Manning. 2008. "Efficient Conservation Measures in Irrigated Agriculture to Sustain Urban and Environmental Water Demands," Review of Agricultural Economics. Fall, 2008. Ward, F.A. and M. Pulido-Velazquez, Efficiency, Equity, and Sustainability in a Water Quantity-Quality Optimization Model for the Rio Grande Basin, Ecological Economics, May 2008. Abstracts and Proceedings: Hurd, B. and P. Ghosh. 2008. Valuing Groundwater Resources in Arid Watersheds under Climate Change: A Framework and Estimates for the Upper Rio Grande, Proceedings of the Western Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Big Sky, MT, June. L. Allen Torell, Kirk C. McDaniel, Brian H. Hurd, and Shad Cox. 2008. Using Soil Moisture to Estimate the Economic Value of Rainfall Events for Range Forage Production, Proceedings, Corona Range and Livestock Research Center  2008 Field Day. Pp 5. Torell, L.A., K.C. McDaniel, B.H. Hurd, and S. Cox. 2008. Using Soil Moisture to Estimate the Economic Value of Rainfall Events for Range Forage Production. 2008 Society for Range Management Meetings, Louisville, KY, January 30. Abstr. No. 1790. A Hydro-Economic Perspective on the Value and Management of Groundwater Resources in New Mexico. Prasenjit Ghosh and Brian Hurd. Poster displayed at the New Mexico State Univ. Research Council Fair, October 3, 2008. Climate Change and the Upper Rio Grande Watershed: Assessing Impacts and Developing Insights for Strategic Adaptations, Brian Hurd. Presented to AGE580, Las Cruces, NM. September 2008. Selected Issues on the Economics of Climate Change and Examples, Brian Hurd, Presented to Dr. Hansens Engineering Class, Las Cruces, NM, July 2008. Valuing Groundwater Resources in Arid Watersheds under Climate Change: A Framework and Estimates for the Upper Rio Grande. Brian Hurd and Prasenjit Ghosh, Presented at the Western Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Big Sky, MT, June 27, 2008. Climate Change and the Upper Rio Grande Watershed: Assessing Impacts and Developing Insights for Strategic Adaptations. Brian Hurd. Presented at the Far West Texas Climate Change Conference, Sponsored by the Texas Water Development Board, El Paso, TX, June 17, 2008. An Overview of Climate Change Impacts on the Water and Economy of the Upper Rio Grande Watershed, Brian Hurd and Albert Rango. Presented at the Border-Area Climate Change Impacts & Water Sector Adaptation Workshop, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, April 1-2, 2008. Using Soil Moisture to Estimate the Economic Value of Rainfall Events for Range Forage Production. Torell, L. Allen, Kirk C. McDaniel, Shad Cox and Brian H. Hurd, Poster presention to the Society for Range Management and the American Forage and Grassland Council, January 26 - 31, 2008. Idaho McKean, John R and R G Taylor. Regional Economic Impacts of the Snake River Steelhead and Salmon Recovery Society & Natural Resources forthcoming Contor, Bryce and Garth Taylor. Irrigation Demand. Western Governors Association, Western States Water Council Water Management Symposium, Salt Lake City, Utah Nov. 17-19, 2008. Taylor, Garth and RD Schmidt. Hydro-economic externalities and the Boise Valley Spatial Partial Equilibrium Model. West Groundwater Conference, Boise Idaho, Sept. 23-25, 2008. Contor, Bryce, Garth Taylor, Greg Moore. Irrigation Demand Calculator. West Groundwater Conference, Boise Idaho, Sept. 23-25, 2008. McKean, J. R. , Donn Johnson, R. G. Taylor The Value Added to Outdoor Recreation from Having a Backup Site. Eastern Economic Conference. March 7, 2008. Schmidt, R. D. Garth Taylor, Leroy Stodick. Modeling Spatial Water Allocation and Hydrologic Externalities in the Boise Valley Boise Valley Water Use Planning Program Technical Series No.1-2008. USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Boise ID. Russ Qualls and Garth Taylor. Climate Change and Idaho Water Resources. Testimony to the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee. Feb 2008. Russ Qualls and Garth Taylor. Climate Change and Idaho Water Resources. Testimony to the House Agricultural Affairs Committee. Feb 2008 Watson, Philip, Garth Taylor, and S Cooke. The Contribution of Agriculture to the Idaho Economy. Idaho Ag. Exp Stn. Bul. 481 2008. Taylor, R. G. John McKean, Donn Johnson. The Location Value of a Recreation Site. Western Regional Science Association Annual Meeting, Kona Hawaii Feb. 2008. Taylor, R. G. and Robert A. Young. Rural to Urban Water Transfers: Measuring Foregone Regional Irrigation Water Benefits Under Uncertain Water Supplies. The International Library of Critical Writing in Economics, Economics of Water Resources Volumes 1 and 2. edited by R. Quentin Grafton. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, Cheltenham, UK. Kansas Gelso, B.R., J.A. Fox, and J.M. Peterson. The Cost of Wetlands: Effects of Size, Hydration, and Dispersion. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 90 (February 2008): 172-185. Peterson, J.M. and K. Schoengold. Using Numerical Methods to Address Water Supply and Reliability Issues: Discussion. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, in press. Wheeler, E., J. Johnson, B. Golden, and J. Peterson. Economic Efficiency of Short-Term vs Long-Term Water Rights Buyout. Invited paper presented at the symposium on Evaluating Water Conservation Strategies and Policies during the 2008 Southern Agricultural Economics Association annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. February, 2008. Golden, B., J. Peterson, and D. OBrien. Potential Economic Impact of Water Use Changes in Northwest Kansas. Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. Staff Paper No. 08-02 March, 2008. Golden, B., J. Peterson, and M. Clark. Possible Impacts of Climate Change in the Ogallala Aquifer Region of Northwest Kansas. Selected Paper presented at the Western Agriculture Economic Association annual meeting. June, 2008. Saak, A.E. Groundwater Use in Asymmetric Aquifer under Incomplete Information. Selected Paper: AAEA Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, July 27-29, 2008. Nebraska Buell, Thomas V. R., Economic Implications of Alternative Futures for Lake McConaughy, Unpublished M.S. Thesis, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Thompson, Christopher L., R. Supalla, B. McMullen and D. Martin. 2008. Evidence Supporting Cap and Trade as a Groundwater Policy Option for Reducing Irrigation Consumptive Use, Journal of American Water Resources Association (In Review). Thompson, Christopher L., R. Supalla, D. Martin and B. McMullen. 2008 Evidence Supporting Cap and Trade as a Groundwater Policy Option in Nebraska, AWRA 2008 Annual Resources Conference, New Orleans, November 17-20, 2008. Martin, Derrel, R. Supalla, B. MuMullen, C. Thompson, G. Hergert and P. Burgener. 2008. Water Optimizer: A Deficit Irrigation Management Tool, AWRA 2008 Annual Resources Conference, New Orleans, November 17-20, 2008. Wyoming Adams, R. M. and D. E. Peck. 2008. Effects of climate change on water resources. Choices: 23(1): 12-14 Peck, D. E., D. M. McLeod, J. P. Hewlett, and J. R. Lovvorn. 2004. Irrigation-dependent wetlands versus instream flow enhancement: economics of water transfers from agriculture to wildlife uses. Environmental Management 34(6):842-855. Book Chapters: Adams, R. M. and D. E. Peck. Effects of climate change on drought frequency: potential impacts and mitigation opportunities. In Dinar, A. and A. Garrido (eds.). Managing water resources in a time of global change: mountains, valleys and flood plains. Routledge Publishing: Oxford. (forthcoming) Published Abstracts & Proceedings: Peck, D. E. and R. M. Adams. 2008. Effectiveness of the Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Programs prevented planting provision as a drought preparedness tool. In Abstract of invited and selected papers and organized symposia, WAEA Annual Meetings, Big Sky, Montana, June 25-27, 2008. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics (forthcoming). Adams, R. M. and D. E. Peck. 2006. Climate change and water resources: potential impacts and implications. pp120-129 in Proceedings from the 5th Biennial Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy: Managing upland watersheds in an era of global climate change. The Banff Centre: Banff, Alberta. Peck D. E. and R. M. Adams. 2006. Optimal response to drought in a stochastic and dynamic farm system. In Abstracts of invited and selected papers and organized symposia, WAEA Annual Meetings, Anchorage, Alaska, June 28-30, 2006. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 31(3):684. Peck, D. E., D. McLeod, J. Lovvorn, J. Hewlett. 2003. Opportunity costs of water leasing: irrigation, instream flow, and wetland considerations in the Laramie Basin, Wyoming. In Invited and selected paper abstracts of the WAEA Annual Meetings, Denver, Colorado, July 11-15, 2003. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 28(3):659. Other Publications: Peck, D. E. (forthcoming). Book review of Water and Disasters by Gopalakrishnan et al. (eds). American Journal of Agricultural Economics. PRESENTED PAPERS Peck, D. E. and R. M. Adams. 2008. Influence of incentives and property rights on future water demand and disputes. EXPO 2008 Spain, Thematic Week 7: The role of market instruments in integrated water management, Zaragoza, Spain, July 28  August 1, 2008. Peck, D. E. and R. M. Adams. 2008. Effectiveness of the Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Programs prevented planting provision as a drought preparedness tool. Western Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Big Sky, Montana, June 25-27, 2008. Peck, D. E. and R. M. Adams. 2008. Effects of climate change on water resources. Symposium & webinar hosted by the Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics; American Agricultural Economics Association, and USDA-Economic Research Service: Environmental Choices: outlook and investigation on climate change as it relates to agriculture and natural resources, Washington, D.C., April 1. Adams, R. M. and D. E. Peck. 2007. Climate change and water resources: potential impacts on water supply and water users. Latin American and Caribbean Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Annual Meeting, Talca, Chile, September 26-28. Peck, D. E. and R. M. Adams. 2007. Persistence of drought impacts across growing seasons: a dynamic stochastic analysis. 101st Seminar of the European Association of Agricultural Economists: Management of Climate Risks in Agriculture, Berlin, Germany, June 5-6. Adams, R. M. and D. E. Peck. 2006. Climate change and water resources: potential impacts and implications. Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy: Managing upland watersheds in an era of global climate change, Banff, Canada, September 6-11, 2006. Peck, D. E. and R. M. Adams. 2006. Farm management during prolonged drought: the role of path-dependence. Western Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Anchorage, Alaska, June 28-30, 2006. Illinois BenDor, T., Brozovi, N., and Pallathucheril, V., 2008, Exploring the social impacts of wetland mitigation policies in the United States, Journal of Planning Literature, v. 22 (4), p. 341-357, DOI: 10.1177/08854122073140111. Presentations Optimal management of an ecosystem with an unknown threshold, 2008, University of Nebraska  Lincoln, Department of Agricultural Economics. Optimal management of an ecosystem with an unknown threshold, 2008, Texas A & M University, Department of Agricultural Economics. The Role of Economics in Water Supply Planning and Management, 2008, Illinois State Water Survey, 2008. On the Spatial Nature of the Groundwater Pumping Externality, 2008, Spatial Environmental Economics Workshop, Centennial, Wyoming. Texas Boyer, C.N., C.S. Rogers, M.E. Rister, A.W. Sturdivant, R.D. Lacewell, and A.J. Leidner. 2008. AEconomics of Potable Water Alternatives Along an International Boundary.@ Proceedings of >International Water Resources: Challenges for the 21st Century and Water Resources Education= Universities Council on Water Resources Annual Meeting. Durham, NC. July 22-24, 2008. (abstract) Boyer, C.N., M.E. Rister, A.W. Sturdivant, R.D. Lacewell, C.S. Rogers, and B.L. Harris. 2008. AIdentifying Economies of Size in Conventional Surface Water Treatment and Brackish-Groundwater Desalination: Case Study in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.@ Proceedings of the 2008 Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. Adams Mark Hotel. Dallas, TX. February 2-6, 2008. Galloway, G.E. and A.M. Michelsen. 2008. ANew Directions in Water Policy: Water Resources Development Act of 2007.@ Southwest Hydrology. May/June. 7(3):8. Jia, S., Z. Sheng, R. Li, and A.M. Michelsen. 2008. Agricultural Water Conservation: Great Potential for Industrial Development in Northwest China. Universities Council on Water Resources and National Institutes for Water Resources Annual Conference. Durham, NC. July 22-24. Abstract. Proceedings CD. Michelsen, A.M., R.L. Lacewell, J. Gilley, M. Chavez and Z. Sheng. 2008. Water Conservation in Agriculture: How Much More Can be Saved? American Water Resources Association Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. Nov. 17-20. Abstract. (Forthcoming) Michelsen, A.M., R.L. Lacewell, J. Gilley, M. Chavez and Z. Sheng. 2008. Applicability and Effectiveness of Water Conservation Practices to Mitigate Drought Impact. Universities Council on Water Resources and National Institutes for Water Resources Annual Conference. Durham, NC. July 22-24. Abstract. Proceedings CD. Michelsen, A.M. and Z. Sheng. 2008. Southwest Desert Floods: Agency Responses, Assessment of Flood Risks and Recommendations to Mitigate Damages and Improve Flood Management. Association of State Flood Plain Managers, 2008 Annual Conference. Reno, NV. May 18-23. Abstract. Proceedings CD. Michelsen, A.M., F. Cortez and M. Fahy. 2008. AReturn Flow Water Acquisition Policies and Institutions.@ Draft Technical Report Chapter for Membrane Treatment of Impaired Irrigation Return and Other Flows for Creating New Sources of High Quality Water. Research sponsored by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, American Water Works Association Research Foundation, El Paso Water Utilities, Texas AgriLife Research, New Mexico State University, University of Texas at El Paso and U.S.D.A. Rio Grande Basin Initiative. Rogers, C.S., A.W. Sturdivant, M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, and B.L. Harris. 2008. AEconomic Implications of Conventional Water Treatment Versus Desalination: A Dual Case Study.@ Proceedings of the 2008 Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. Adams Mark Hotel. Dallas, TX. February 2-6, 2008. Seawright, E.K., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, J.A. Goolsby, and A.W. Sturdivant. 2008. ABiological Control of Giant Reed Along the Rio Grande: An International Boundary.@ Proceedings of >International Water Resources: Challenges for the 21st Century and Water Resources Education= Universities Council on Water Resources Annual Meeting. Durham, NC. July 22-24, 2008. (abstract) Sheng, Z. A.W. Sturdivant, A.M. Michelsen, and R.D Lacewell. 2008. ARapid Economic Assessment of Flood-Control Failure Along the Rio Grande: A Case Study.@ In Chennat Gopalakrishnan and Norio Okada (Eds.), Water and Disasters (pp. 86-106). New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. Wolfe, C.D., M.J. Stubbs, M.E. Rister, A.W. Sturdivant, R.D. Lacewell, E.L. Pennington, and C.S. Rogers. 2007. "An Overview of Operational Characteristics of Selected Irrigation Districts in the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley: Harlingen Irrigation District Cameron County No. 1." Texas Water Resources Institute. TR 270. College Station, TX. December, 2007. Wolfe, C.D., M.J. Stubbs, E.L. Pennington, M.E. Rister, A.W. Sturdivant, R.D. Lacewell, and C.S. Rogers. 2007. "An Overview of Operational Characteristics of Selected Irrigation Districts in the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley: Delta Lake Irrigation District." Texas Water Resources Institute. TR 290. College Station, TX. December, 2007. PRESENTATIONS Boyer, C.N., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, A.W. Sturdivant, C.S. Rogers, and B.L. Harris. 2008. ACost of Producing Potable Water for the La Sara Brackish-Groundwater Desalination Facility and the Southmost Brackish-Groundwater Desalination Facility.@ Meeting with North Alamo Water Supply Corporation and NRS Consulting Engineers. Harlingen, TX. February 26, 2008. Boyer, C.N., C.S. Rogers, M.E. Rister, A.W. Sturdivant, R.D. Lacewell, and A.J. Leidner. 2008. AEconomics of Potable Water Alternatives Along an International Boundary.@ Annual Meeting of the Universities Council on Water Resources and The National Institutes for Water Resources. Durham, NC. July 23, 2008. Boyer, C.N., M.E. Rister, A.W. Sturdivant, R.D. Lacewell, C.S. Rogers, and B.L. Harris. 2008. AIdentifying Economies of Size in Conventional Surface Water Treatment and Brackish-Groundwater Desalination: Case Study in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.@ Annual Meeting of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. Dallas, TX. February 5, 2008. Galloway, G.E. and A.M. Michelsen. 2007. Water Resources Development Act of 2007: Who, What, Where, How? American Water Resources Association Annual Conference. Albuquerque, NM. Nov. 14. Michelsen, A.M. 2008. Economics, Public Goods, and Environmental Management Methods and Analysis Approaches. Pan American Advanced Study Institute, Sustainability Workshop, EULA, University of Concepcion, Chile. August 10-22. Invited. Michelsen, A.M. 2008. Water Resources and Management in the Paso del Norte Region. Joint Management of Shared Resources, Groundwater Management District Association Conference. El Paso, TX, June 11-13. Invited. Michelsen, A.M. and D. Doremus. 2008. ARio Grande Salinity Management: First Steps Toward Interstate Solutions.@ New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute Annual Conference. Albuquerque, NM. October 21-22. Rister, M.E., R.D. Lacewell, and A.W. Sturdivant. 2008. AEconomic Performance Cost Analysis for Best Management Practices.@ Steering Committee Meeting for the Cedar Creek Reservoir Watershed Protection Plan. Kaufman, TX. September 11, 2008. Rister, M.E., A.W. Sturdivant, and R.D. Lacewell. 2008. AEconomic Analyses of BMPs for The Cedar Creek Watershed.@ Stakeholder Meeting for the Watershed Protection Plan Development for the Cedar Creek Watershed. Kaufman, TX. July 24, 2008. Rister, M.E., A.W. Sturdivant, R.D. Lacewell, C.N. Boyer, A.J. Leidner, C.S. Rogers, E.K. Seawright, and S.R. Yow. 2008. AEconomists: Task 1.@ Joint Rio Grande Basin Initiatives Annual Conference. Las Cruces, NM., July 16, 2008. Rogers, C.S., A.W. Sturdivant, M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, and B.L. Harris. 2008. AEconomic Implications of Conventional Water Treatment Versus Desalination: A Dual Case Study.@ Annual Meeting of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. Dallas, TX. February 5, 2008. Seawright, E.K., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, A.W. Sturdivant, and J.A. Goolsby. 2008. ABiological Control of Giant Reed Along the Rio Grande: An International Boundary.@ Annual Meeting of the Universities Council on Water Resources and The National Institutes for Water Resources. Durham, NC. July 24, 2008. Seawright, E.K., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, A.W. Sturdivant, and J.A. Goolsby. 2008. "Progress on Economic Report for the USDA ARS Biological Control of Arundo donax." Arundo donax Biological Control Team Meeting. College Station, TX. June 26, 2008. Seawright, E.K., C.N. Boyer, S.R. Yow, A.J. Leidner, M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, and A.W. Sturdivant. 2008. AStudent Research B the Rio Grande Basin Initiative. Meeting of Agricultural Economics Faculty Retirees.@ College Station, TX. March 4, 2008. Seawright, E.K., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, J.A. Goolsby, and A.W. Sturdivant. 2008. APreliminary Economic Results of the Benefits from Biological Control of Giant Reed.@ Arundo donax Biological Control Team Meeting. Edinburg, TX. January 23, 2008. Sturdivant, A.W., M.E. Rister, and R.D. Lacewell. 2008. AVIDRA8 - Valley Irrigation District Rate Analyzer II for Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 1.@ Hidalgo County Irrigation District No 1. Edinburg, TX. August 28, 2008. Invited. Sturdivant, A.W., M.E. Rister, and R.D. Lacewell. 2008. AVIDRA8 - Valley Irrigation District Rate Analyzer II for Delta Lake Irrigation District.@ Delta Lake Irrigation District. Ed Couch, TX. August 13, 2008. Invited. Sturdivant, A.W., M.E. Rister, and R.D. Lacewell. 2008. AVIDRA8 - Valley Irrigation District Rate Analyzer for United Irrigation District.@ United Irrigation District. Mission, TX. December 4, 2007. Invited. Sturdivant, A.W., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, C.S. Rogers, E.K. Seawright, C.N. Boyer, S.R. Yow, and A.J. Leidner. 2008. AEconomists: Task 1.@ RGBI meeting with TCEQ Texas Environmental Excellence Awards Committee. College Station, TX., February 5, 2008. Invited. Yow, S.R., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, A.W. Sturdivant, C.S. Rogers, and F.O. Boadu. 2008. "Rio Grande Valley Water Markets and Legislative Influences." Annual Meeting of the Universities Council on Water Resources and The National Institutes for Water Resources. Durham, NC. July 23, 2008. Yow, S.R. "Unintended Consequences of Water Legislation." 2008. Student Section of the Annual Meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association. Orlando, FL. July 29, 2008. Yow, S.R. 2008. "Evaluating the Possible Impacts of State Legislation on Water Treatment Technology Adoption." Meeting of the Interdisciplinary Inquiry-based Learning Community. College Station, TX. September 12, 2008 Forthcoming Publications Sturdivant, A.W., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, and C.S. Rogers. AGoal Seek Pamphlet II for VIDRA8 - HCID#1 using Microsoft7 Excel7.@ Texas Water Resources Institute. SR 2008-xyz. October 2008. - forthcoming Sturdivant, A.W., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, and C.S. Rogers. AGoal Seek Pamphlet for VIDRA8 - DLID using Microsoft7 Excel7.@ Texas Water Resources Institute. SR 2008-xyz. October 2008. - forthcoming POSTERS Goolsby, J., P. Moran, J. Adamczyk, A. Kirk, W. Jones, J. Everitt, C. Yang, P. Parker, L. Wood, T. Roland, R. Penk, K. Jones, D. Spencer, A. Pepper, J. Manhart, D. Tarin, G. Moore, D. Watts, R. Lacewell, E. Rister, E. Seawright, A. Sturdivant, E. Contreras Arquieta, M. Martinez Jiménez, E. Galante, M. Marcos, E. Cortés Mendoza, E. Chilton, L. Gilbert, T. Vaughn, A. Rubio, A. Cohen, and F. Nibling. AArundo donax B giant reed; an invasive weed of the Rio Grande Basin. Arundo donax Biological Control Team Meeting. College Station, TX. June 26, 2008. Leidner, A.J., C.S. Rogers, A.W. Sturdivant, M.E. Rister, R.D., Lacewell, J.G. Santiago, J.W. Norris, J. Leal, J. Garza, and J. Adams. AEconomic Implications of Conventional Water Treatment Versus Desalination: A Dual Case Study.. Poster presented at the 2008 Texas A&M AgriLife Conference. Texas A&M University. College Station, TX. January 7-11, 2008. (winner 1st Place Graduate Student Poster Competition). . Seawright, E.K., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, J.A. Goolsby, and A.W. Sturdivant. APreliminary Economic Implications of Beneficial Insect Control of Giant Reed (Arundo donax).@ Poster presented at the 2008 Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. Adams Mark Hotel. Dallas, TX. February 2-6, 2008. Seawright, E.K., M.E. Rister, R.D. Lacewell, J.A. Goolsby, and A.W. Sturdivant. APreliminary Economic Contributions to USDA-ARS Biological Control of Arundo donax in the Rio Grande Basin. Poster presented at the Arundo donax Biological Control Team Meeting. Edinburg, TX. January 23, 2008. North Dakota Publications: Hearne, R. 2007. Evolving Water Management Institutions in the Red River Basin. Environmental Management. 40(6):842-852. Torpen D. and R. Hearne. 2008. Stakeholder Preferences for Water Management Alternatives in the Red River Basin. Agribusiness and Applied Economics Report N0. 639. Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. North Dakota State University. April, 2008. Presentations: 2008 Characteristics of Active Water Management Organizations in the Red River Basin. (with Craig Kritsky). Presented at the Western Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. Big Sky, Mt. June 2008. 2008 Stakeholder Preferences for Water Management Alternatives in the Red River Basin (with D. Torpen). Paper Presented at the W-2133 Annual Meeting Kona Hi., February 2008.