The evolving impact of the Ogallala Aquifer
Subtitle: agricultural adaptation to groundwater and climate
By: Richard Hornbeck, Pinar Keskin
Contributors: Keskin, Pinar; National Bureau of Economic Research
Series: NBER working paper series -- working paper 17625; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research : Online) -- working paper no. 17625.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Description: "Agriculture on the American Great Plains has been constrained by historical water scarcity.  After World War II, technological improvements made groundwater from the Ogallala aquifer available for irrigation.  Comparing counties over the Ogallala with nearby similar counties, groundwater access increased irrigation intensity and initially reduced the impact of droughts.  Over time, land-use adjusted toward water-intensive crops and drought-sensitivity increased; conversely, farmers in water-scarce counties maintained drought-resistant practices that fully mitigated higher drought-sensitivity.  Land values capitalized the Ogallala's value at $26 billion in 1974; as extraction remained high and water levels declined, the Ogallala's value fell to $9 billion in 2002"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: Title from PDF file as viewed on 2/9/2012.

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