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Models of land and water allocation to improve environment and water quality through soil loss controls
Author(s) -
Heady Earl O.,
Nicol Kenneth J.
Publication year - 1975
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/wr011i006p00795
Subject(s) - environmental science , acre , water quality , agriculture , agricultural land , land use , cropping , water balance , hydrology (agriculture) , water resource management , environmental engineering , agroforestry , geography , engineering , ecology , civil engineering , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , biology
A model is developed that is applicable to all agricultural land in the United States. The model includes 223 producing areas, 1891 land resource areas, and 51 water supply regions. Different cropping systems and technologies are defined for each crop and livestock system in each of 1891 land resource regions. Hence the programing model is of very large scale, since it also includes a transportation submodel and market regions. As a means of water quality improvement, limits are placed on the per acre per year soil loss as a means of reducing sedimentation and the transport of nitrogen and phosphates into streams. A nitrogen balance equation limits fertilizer purchases and forces utilization of livestock wastes in the region. The model forces a land use system and set of technologies over the country and interregionally that has soil loss unrestricted, at 10 tons per acre, at 5 tons per acre, and at 3 tons per acre. The unrestricted and 5‐ton limits are reviewed in this paper in relation to impacts on soil loss (reduced about 25%), crop distribution, technology, water use, and farm prices.