Recent Publications
 The most recent issue of the Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, "Addressing Irrigation Aquifer Depletion" features several articles written by OWCAP team members and our Ogallala Aquifer Program colleagues, among others. OWCAP collaborator and Director of the OK Water Resources Center Kevin Wagner’s introductory piece nicely sets the stage for the entire collection. Check it out!
 OWCAP collaborator Isaya Kisekka (UC-Davis) put together a special collection - Crop Modeling and Decision Support for Optimizing Use of Limited Water - recently published in Transactions of the ASABE, Volume 60 (6). This collection includes the following papers co-authored by OWCAP team members in collaboration with other colleagues:
- Crop modeling applications in Agricultural Water Management, by I. Kisekka, K. C. DeJonge, L. Ma, J. Paz, & K. Douglas-Mankin
- OWCAP collaborator Isaya Kisekka (UC-Davis) put together a special collection Model-Based Deficit Irrigation of Maize in Kansas, by R. Linker, I. Kisekka
- Optimizing ET-Based Irrigation Scheduling for Wheat and Maize with Water Constraints, by Q. X. Fang, L. Ma, Z. Qi, Y. J. Shen, L. He, S. H. Xu, I. Kisekka, M. Sima, R. W. Malone, & Q. Yu
- Simulated Effects of Winter Wheat Cover Crop on Cotton Production Systems of the Texas Rolling Plains, by P. Adhikari, N. Omani, S. Ale, P. B. DeLaune, K. R. Thorp, E. M. Barnes, & G. Hoogenboom
- Irrigation Management, by R. P. Wibowo, N. P. Hendricks, I. Kisekka, & A. Araya
- The Impact of Spatial Soil Variability on Simulation of Regional Maize Yield, by V. Sharda, C. Handyside, B. Chaves, R. T. McNider, & G. Hoogenboom
Colorado State University PhD student Aaron Hrozencik is the lead author of a newly published paper: The heterogeneous impacts of groundwater management policies in the Republican River Basin of Colorado.  This paper, co-authored with OWCAP/CSU collaborators Dale Manning, Jordan Suter, Chris Goemans, and Ryan Bailey, describes the development and application of a basin-wide, hydro-economic model that incorporates economic behavior driven by changes in well capacity and changes in depth to groundwater, along with soil type and weather uncertainty. The model was used to simulate the impacts of groundwater management policies (pumping fee, a quantity restriction, and an irrigated acreage fee) on producers in the High Plains aquifer of eastern Colorado relative to a no-policy baseline. This research highlights how the spatial scale of policy implementation can influence policy impacts, the distribution of policy impacts across groundwater users, and the potential support for differing policies.
 New interim report summarizes 4 years of data from the high-priority Sheridan #6 Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA) located in NW Kansas.
Starting in 2013, producers within the boundaries of the LEMA were assigned a 5-year allocation of 55 in/acre, which represents a water use reduction of ~20% compared to historical use. This interim report compares water use, cropping practices, and economic outcomes for the LEMA to surrounding acreage outside the LEMA boundaries. To date, the economic results suggest that "given the certainty of groundwater use reductions, producers are able to implement strategies to maintain return and apply less groundwater" with minimal impact on cash flow. Read the full report: B. Golden & K. Liebsch (2017). Monitoring the Impacts of Sheridan County 6 Local Enhanced Management Area.
gators, which on average is approximately 20%
less than historic use.
Producers within the boundarie
s of the LEMA were assigned a 5
-
year allocation o
f
55 inches per acre.
gators, which on average is approximately 20%
less than historic use.
Producers within the boundarie
s of the LEMA were assigned a 5
-
year allocation o
f
55 inches per acre. if you haven’t and are curious to learn more - about what is known about the methods, assumptions, and estimates of the likely economic impacts associated with a groundwater use reduction in the Sheridan #6 LEMA, this recent publication will likely be of interest to you: Interim report: Monitoring the Impacts of Sheridan County 6 Local Enhanced Management Area (2013-2016).
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Recently, the OWCAP team was treated to a terrific team webinar presented by 
