Premium
Economic and environmental impacts of water quality protection policies: 2. Application to the Central High Plains
Author(s) -
Bernardo D. J.,
Mapp H. P.,
Sabbagh G. J.,
Geleta S.,
Watkins K. B.,
Elliott R. L.,
Stone J. F.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/93wr00859
Subject(s) - environmental science , agriculture , water quality , nonpoint source pollution , surface runoff , unit (ring theory) , nutrient pollution , water resource management , groundwater , natural resource economics , environmental engineering , environmental protection , economics , geography , engineering , ecology , geotechnical engineering , biology , mathematics education , mathematics , archaeology
A three‐stage modeling framework is applied to evaluate the potential economic and environmental impacts of agricultural groundwater protection policies in the Central High Plains Region. Three alternative policies (limitations on total nitrogen applications, limitations on unit‐area nitrogen applications, and restrictions on the use of selected herbicides) are compared to a baseline scenario that reflects the absence of any form of groundwater quality protection measures. In general, nitrogen restrictions are more effective in reducing nitrate loadings in percolation water if implemented on a unit‐area basis rather than as a total (farm level) restriction. In contrast, the total restriction is more effective in controlling runoff losses of nitrogen. Both nitrogen restrictions have significant impacts on crop production levels and regional agricultural income, while the economic consequences of the pesticide restriction are much less pronounced. The proposed regional modeling framework provides critical information necessary to assess the economic and environmental tradeoffs of policy alternatives aimed at controlling agricultural nonpoint source pollution.