Effects of initial aquifer conditions on economic benefits from groundwater conservation

摘要: Worldwide, there is growing recognition of the need to reduce agricultural groundwater use in response rapid rates aquifer depletion. To date, however, few studies have evaluated how benefits conservation vary along an aquifer's depletion pathway. address this question, we develop integrated modeling framework that couples agro-economic model farmers' field-level irrigation decision-making with a borehole-scale flow model. Unique explicit consideration dynamic reductions well yields occur as depleted, and these changes intraseasonal supply affect ability manage production risks caused by climate variability and, particular, drought. For illustrative case study High Plains region United States, apply our analyze value activities for different initial conditions. Our results demonstrate range conditions which reducing pumping will long-term economic farmers slowing prolonging usable lifetime high-value irrigated agriculture. In contrast, restrictions on are applied too early or late provide limited welfare benefits. We suggest, therefore, ‘windows opportunity’ implement conservation, depend complex feedbacks between local hydrology, climate, crop growth, economics. This article protected copyright. All rights reserved.