A Meta-analysis of Water Conservation Policies in the Southern Ogallala Aquifer Region

Abstract

To extend the economic life of the Ogallala Aquifer, policy makers and stakeholders have considered and implemented several water conservation policies. Starting with an empirical study by Segarra and Feng (1994), the inter-temporal dynamic approach has been adopted in literature to evaluate impacts of these policies in the region. To integrate the findings and make comparable evaluations, we conducted a meta-analysis of the literature. After a systematic identification and screening of relevant publications including journal articles, meeting papers and reports, the meta-analysis included 19 studies focusing on nine major water conservation polices, including irrigation technology adoption, water use restriction, biotechnology, permanent and temporary conversion to dryland production. The average number of policies analyzed by the literature was 3.33, and more than 60% of the studies included one or more counties in the Southern High Plains region of Texas. The average planning horizon was 52 years. The estimated average decrease of saturated thickness was 59 feet. The economic impacts of these policies were significantly different in each study.