January-March 2003

Water Use Data for Reclamation Projects: On March 12, 2003, Noel Gollehon and Glenn Schaible (ERS) met with representatives from USDA's NASS and Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) to discuss how to modify the 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey (FRIS) to meet water-use data information needs for the BoR. Since BoR ceased collecting some critical water data in 1992, it is anticipated that FRIS data will be helpful in developing an improved agency-level understanding of BoR's irrigation program.

ERS Economist Attends NASS FRIS Program Review Committee Meeting: On January 31, Glenn Schaible (ERS) met with the NASS Program Review Committee to review final changes to the upcoming 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey (FRIS). The NASS/ERS FRIS/ARMS Integration Team developed the draft 2003 FRIS questionnaire that integrates the 2003 FRIS and the 2003 ARMS Phase III surveys.

January-December 2002

ERS and Bureau of Reclamation Plan Cooperative Research: On November 15, Glenn Schaible and Noel Gollehon (ERS) met with Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) and university researchers participating in ERS cooperative agreements in Lakewood, CO. The projects, funded by USDA’s Risk Management Agency, address economic impacts of potential Federal decisions affecting water supplies to irrigated agriculture along the North and South Platte Rivers. Discussions with cooperators Ray Supalla, University of Nebraska, and Marshall Frasier, Colorado State University, on the scope of the research agenda for the two research projects. Bob Hamilton and staff (BoR) also attended the meeting and the group discussed ways to integrate research objectives and activities with related BoR-funded research. The researchers successfully narrowed the focus of the project research agendas, agreed on economic research methodology, integrated RMA and BoR research objectives, agreed to share economic and hydrologic data, and made plans for continued cooperative work.

ERS Economists Participate In Western Regional Water Committee Meetings: On October 1-4, Glenn Schaible and Noel Gollehon (ERS) participated in the Western regional research committee (W190) meetings in Post Falls, ID. W190 meets annually to review the status of joint and ongoing research related to onfarm water conservation, the economics of alternative water policy choices, and the likely contributions of potential institutional changes involving water reallocations. Schaible presented research results entitled "Structural Characteristics of Western Irrigated Agriculture: Implications for Water Conservation and Research." Schaible also presented and discussed proposed changes to the 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey (FRIS), receiving excellent review comments from W190 participants. Gollehon discussed a recent ERS cooperative research project with USDA's Risk Management Agency and nine universities addressing the issue of economic impacts associated with Federal decisions restricting irrigation water supplies and their implications for insured and non-insured assistance. The meetings ended with the selection of new W190 officers for 2003: Ray Supalla, University of Nebraska, as Chair Person, Glenn Schaible, ERS, as Vice Chair, and Jeff Peterson, Kansas State University, as Secretary.

ERS Economist Assists National Academy of Sciences Research Project Review: On October 30, Noel Gollehon (ERS) worked with a panel of reviewers to make research funding recommendations for the National Academy of Sciences. Research projects discussed are funded by a U.S. Agency for International Development program for U.S.-Israel Cooperative Development Research and the Middle East Regional Cooperation Program. The proposals related to water management and environmental engineering.

ERS Provides Input For GAO Study On Federal Water Activities: On September 23, Noel Gollehon (ERS) attended a discussion of the USDA activities related to water availability, management and use, organized at the request of GAO. The primary USDA contact for the GAO study was Ron Marlow, Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Forest Service, Agricultural Research Service, and Rural Utilities Service also participated. GAO is conducting a study that, among other things, examines the USDA roles, responsibilities, or activities relating to water quantity data collection, dissemination and research and the impact of USDA's activities on water availability.

ERS Participates in National Research Council Committee Meeting: On September 19, Carol Jones (ERS) attended the first meeting of the National Research Council’s new Committee on Water Resources Research as an informal liaison to the committee from ERS. This NRC Committee is charged with assessing the current investment by federal agencies in water resources research and its adequacy, in light of important emerging issues. Noel Gollehon (ERS) made a presentation to the Committee describing the economic pressures and trends in agricultural water availability and water use. He was asked to present as part of a panel discussion on trends in consumptive and nonconsumptive water use.

ERS Economist Serves On Bureau of Reclamation Steering Committee: On May 29-30, Margriet Caswell (ERS) attended a meeting of the Bureau of Reclamation Science and Technology Program Steering Committee in Denver, CO. The goal of the meeting was to identify priority outputs and to develop a strategic research plan to accomplish the identified goals. Research areas currently under discussion are (i) the use of watershed decision modeling to sustain allocations of water to urban, industrial, and agricultural end-users, (ii) methods to increase the quantity, quality, and security of water storage and delivery systems, and (iii) the development of biological and other invasive species control techniques.

ERS Economists Meet With Australian Economist: On April 10, Marc Ribaudo and Rob Johansson (ERS) met with Charlotte Duke, an economist with the Natural Resources and Environment department of Victoria, Australia. Duke was in the U.S. obtaining information on U.S. market incentive conservation programs that might be used to address a salinity problem in the state of Victoria. She was particularly interested in trading programs.

Oregon Economist Visits ERS: On March 11-14, Don Negri, Associate Dean at Willamette University and a former ERS employee, visited ERS to work with Marcel Aillery and Noel Gollehon (ERS) to address reviewer comments on a publication from the ERS cooperative agreement on climatic variability and agricultural input decisions.

ERS Research Presented at National Institute for Water Research Meeting: On March 5, Carol Jones (ERS) made a presentation to the National Institute for Water Research annual meeting on ERS water-related research. The context was a day-long workshop devoted to reports from federal agencies on their internal and external research agendas, and a discussion of opportunities for cooperation and collaboration.

ERS Economist Contacted On Water Conservation Provision Of Senate Farm Bill: On February 27, Jeff Loser (NRCS) contacted Noel Gollehon (ERS) about possible sources of data and background information to develop the supporting regulations for Section 215 of the proposed Agriculture, Conservation, and Rural Enhancement Act (ACRE) dealing with water conservation. Mr. Loser was preparing information to help scope the initial regulations that will be developed to support and implement this new provision. If House-Senate conferees retain this provision in the final farm legislation, Loser indicated ERS would be asked to provide NRCS assistance in developing the regulations. (the provision was subsequently dropped from legislation).

September-December 2001

ERS Research Director Attends Meeting of Water Resources Research Directors: On November 13, Carol Jones (ERS) attended a meeting of water resources research directors from a wide range of Federal agencies. The purpose of this second organizational meeting of the group was to determine the goals and purposes of such a research directors group, and possible collaborative activities.

ERS Meets With Bureau of Reclamation Staff on Research Interests: On November 7, Noel Gollehon and Marcel Aillery (ERS) met with Bob Hamilton (Director, Research Division, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO) about joint research interests. Previous discussions have narrowed the broad range of topics to a focus on water markets to provide water in drought years for both agriculture and the environment. The meeting participants discussed research support, potential stakeholders, and the choice of case studies that would illustrate policy
options.

Environmental Defense Inquiry About Irrigation Water Conservation: On October 22, Noel Gollehon (ERS) received a call from Scott Faber, Environmental Defense, requesting information about which irrigation systems had the least water loss. Mr. Faber is working on the EQIP provisions of the Farm Bill, and there is some interest in increasing the share of funds to encourage irrigation water conservation. Mr. Faber was referred to the chapter on Irrigation Water Management in the Agricultural Resource and Environmental Indicators Handbook. Faber also requested a copy of two features from the ERS Irrigation and Water Use briefing room. The articles requested were mailed.

ERS Economists Attend Western Regional Water Research Committee: On October 3-6, Glenn Schaible and Noel Gollehon (ERS) attended the western regional research committee addressing western water issues (known as the W190) in Reno, NV. The topic for this year was addressing regional water conflicts. Presentations included mine dewatering in Nevada's Humboldt River Basin and management of Nevada's Truckee-Carson River Basin. W190 also hosted tours of the Upper Truckee River Basin, the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District, and the Stillwater Wildlife Refuge, all critical components of a long-term solution for the water conflicts involving Nevada water issues. The meetings ended with a panel discussion, ""Enhancing the Impact of Regional Projects."" The W190 is composed of agricultural economists, agronomists, and agricultural engineers from western universities, and the Agricultural Research Service and Economic Research Service, USDA.

Nebraska Conference on Agriculture at a Crossroads: On September 24, Dr. Raymond J. Supalla, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, contacted Glenn Schaible (ERS) about inviting an ERS economist as a featured speaker for an upcoming Nebraska Conference on Agriculture at a Crossroads, cosponsored by the Nebraska Agricultural Council. Dr. Supalla was interested in a featured speaker on the status of agricultural globalization and trade and where global markets are headed. Dr. Supalla was put in contact with Neil Conklin, Market & Trade Economics Division, ERS.

May-August 2001

ERS Economist Interviewed for National Academy of Sciences Report: On August 8, Will Logan, National Academy of Sciences, interviewed Noel Gollehon (ERS) for a report the Academy is preparing on the water-use data collection program at the U.S. Geological Survey. The interview was a follow-up to a presentation on ERS uses of water-use data made by Gollehon to the Academy Committee. Will Logan also asked Gollehon to formally review the draft report when it becomes available in September.

ERS Hosts Workshop on "Water and Agriculture in the American West": On June 21, The USDA Economist Group and the National Capital Chapter of the Soil & Water Conservation Society sponsored the workshop "Water and Agriculture in the American West" at ERS. Papers were presented by members of the Regional Research Committee on western water issues (W-190), including LeRoy Daugherty, New Mexico State University; Chennat Gopalakrishnan, University of Hawaii; Glenn Schaible and Noel Gollehon (ERS); Ray Huffaker, Washington State University; and Raymond J. Supalla, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The workshop addressed several critical western water issues and the role of policy in solving the problems.

January-April 2001

ERS Economists Meet With Water Specialists From China: On April 23, Margriet Caswell, Marca Weinberg, Jonathan Kaplan, Francis Tuan, and Hsin-Hui Hsu (ERS) met with a team of water specialists and policymakers from the Ministry of Water Resources in China. The team is visiting the United States as part of the FAS, International Cooperation and Development, Research and Scientific Exchange Program. The meeting at ERS was arranged by Bryan Lohmar as part of an ongoing relationship between the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Water Resources, in Beijing, and ERS to better understand how changes in China's agricultural water policies, prompted by severe water shortages on the North China Plain, will affect agricultural production in that important grain producing region. The two-hour meeting involved discussion of the determinants of adopting various agricultural practices, particularly irrigation technology adoption, water allocation institutions and policies in the United States, water quality issues and control of non-point source pollution.

CEQ Inquiry On Water Markets: On April 10, William Leary of the Council on Environmental Quality contacted Noel Gollehon (ERS) about the feasibility of using drought-based contingent water markets as a mechanism to reduce the impact of current drought conditions exacerbated by energy problems in the West. He was seeking background information on the structure and limitations of contingent water markets and examples of their use. Leary was referred to the ERS web site for general information on irrigation, a Rural Development Perspectives article on water markets in general, and several journal citations and other published research reports on contingent markets.

Irrigation Water Pricing: On February 26-27, Rob Johansson (ERS) met with collaborators on the World Bank project "Guidelines for Pricing Irrigation Water Based on Efficiency, Equity and Implementation Costs." On February 27, Johansson also presented a seminar on irrigation water pricing theory and practice to a general audience as part of the World Bank workshop on the project.

ERS Economists Attend Western Water Research Committee Meetings: On November 16-17, ERS staff attended the annual meetings of the Western Regional Research Committee, W190, on "Agricultural Water Management Technologies, Institutions and Policies Affecting Economic Viability and Environmental Quality" in Phoenix, AZ. Glenn Schaible, Noel Gollehon, and Margriet Caswell are ERS Representatives to the W190. The meetings are organized for W190 participation in the Irrigation Association (IA) Annual Irrigation Exposition and the joint IA and American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) 10-year National Irrigation Symposium held in Phoenix on November 12-16. The W190 meetings reviewed (1) the Symposium sessions for their contributions to the W190 economic research program; (2) ongoing research activities across western agricultural research programs addressing W190 research objectives; and (3) the work of several W190 special topic area subcommittee assignments. Special topic areas included the economics of precision farming, the potential impact of climate change for western irrigated agriculture, the use of conflict-resolution techniques, and the potential role of contingent water markets and their impact for western irrigated agriculture.

ERS Economist Meets with Chinese Delegation: On October 13, Noel Gollehon (ERS) spoke before a Chinese delegation about water issues in the U.S, in Washington, DC. He discussed water value, water use, and Federal programs involving water and irrigation. Gollehon was invited to speak by NRCS's International Programs Division. The delegation included 23 provincial irrigation and Ministry of Water Resources officials.

ERS Economist Attends Interstate Council on Water Policy [ICWP] Meeting: On September 18-19, Margriet Caswell (ERS) participated in the ICWP annual meeting held in Chicago. ICWP participants represent urban, agricultural and environmental water interests from all areas of the U.S. Current national drought management and water conservation issues were discussed. Reports were presented by representatives of the National Drought Policy, Susquehanna River Basin, and Great Lakes Commissions. There also was discussion of the need for a national water resources policy. Concerns had been raised that the response to Federal policies, such as the Endangered Species Act and the regulation of confined animal feeding operations, is too complex to be handled individually by each State. Wyoming Governor Jim Gerringer spoke about the Enlibra Principles that were recently promulgated by the Western Governors Association to empower people to do more for themselves.

ERS Economist Presents Everglades Paper: On September 6, Barry Glaz (ARS research agronomist, Canal Point, FL) and Marcel Aillery (ERS) presented a paper at the Inter-American Sugar Cane Seminar Year 2000-At the Dawn of a New Millennium. The presentation addressed the importance of water-table management for conserving soils in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), with a focus on ARS research to develop sugarcane varieties with greater flood tolerance. Higher, more stable water-tables on organic soils of the EAA help to reduce the rate of soil subsidence, extending the productive life of soils for agricultural use. Soil and water management is also key to maintaining long-term water-retention capacity of the region while reducing nutrient discharges in drainage flows, issues of critical importance to the Everglades restoration program.

for more information, contact: Noel Gollehon
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page updated: April 29, 2003