Subtask 1.7 Economic Modeling of the Pecos River Basin and Assessment of Saltcedar Control Activities
Objectives of this Subtask include:
- Creating a crop acreage optimization model that includes the salinity tolerance of crops to develop production budgets for local agricultural producers that rely on surface water from irrigation districts
- Measuring the economic effects of saltcedar control on rangelands and riparian areas, and
- Using the IMPLAN input/output model to measure indirect changes on the Basin-wide economy that may result from saltcedar control.
A linear programming model will be developed to estimate how agricultural producers who use irrigation may respond to changes in the availability and quality of water in irrigation districts in the Pecos Basin. The model will maximize economic returns for the basin within the constraints of irrigated acreage, the availability and quality of irrigation water, and related factors.
The anticipated responses of rangeland managers will also be analyzed. Recovery of riparian areas will be monitored, and stakeholders will be interviewed to determine how they perceive saltcedar infestations and saltcedar control programs affect water conditions, rangeland health, and the environment.
Basin-wide impacts of saltcedar control or other best management practices (BMPs) will be analyzed using the IMPLAN model. IMPLAN can be used to analyze the interrelationships between agricultural sector and other economic sectors.
Deliverables for this Subtask
- Production budgets for irrigated crops in the Pecos Basin will be developed.
- Models to optimize irrigated acreage will be developed and documented.
- Surveys will be used to gather the perceptions of stakeholders (i.e., managers of rangelands and riparian areas) about the impacts of saltcedar control on wildlife, livestock, and other issues. Survey results will be analyzed and published.
- A report will be published about the use of IMPLAN to analyze how saltcedar control may affect the economy of the Pecos Basin.
