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Economic and Policy Implications of the 160‐Acre Limitation in Federal Reclamation Law
Author(s) -
Seckler David,
Young Robert A.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
american journal of agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.949
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1467-8276
pISSN - 0002-9092
DOI - 10.2307/1240242
Subject(s) - allocative efficiency , land reclamation , economics , enforcement , public economics , acre , economic justice , business , law , political science , microeconomics , geography , agroforestry , archaeology , biology
Proposals for strict enforcement and, conversely, for relaxation or elimination of acreage limitations in federal irrigation projects have arisen in response to recent court decisions regarding two large California irrigation districts. These proposals are examined against criteria including distributive justice, allocative efficiency, and administrative workability. Empirical evidence is offered which shows that proposed regulations would permit overly generous family incomes in the two areas and brings into question the existence of significant economies associated with larger size farms. An alternative policy instrument, based on control of the water supply, rather than of the land, is proposed so as to reconcile more effectively conflicting policy objectives.