AGRICULTURAL WATER CONSERVATION:

ECONOMICS AND POLICY

ACF Stakeholders Governing BoardAlbany, GA – December 8, 2011

Mark H. MastersAlbany State University

Growth in Irrigation

A Snapshot Value of Irrigation

-$300.00

-$200.00

-$100.00

$0.00

$100.00

$200.00

$300.00

$400.00

$ p

er A

cre

Irrigated $257.03 $246.29 $350.31

Non-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

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

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%

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%

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

Milestones in Management Began issuing withdrawal permits for

agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988

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

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

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

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

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)

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

Milestones in Management Water Stewardship Act – 2010

Milestones in Management Water Stewardship Act – 2010 Regional Water Planning Councils – current

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

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?

Mark H. MastersAlbany State University

Georgia Water Planning & Policy Center mmasters@h2opolicycenter.org

229-430-2900 x36

Drought Declaration Deadline

Mid-Season Management?

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