scholarly journals Quality of surface water for irrigation, western United States, 1957

1960 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Western United States

The Role of Irrigation in the Development of Agriculture in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 1103-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C. Edwards ◽  
Steven M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Annual Increase ◽  
Small Streams

We examine the role of irrigation in explaining U.S. agricultural gains post-1940. Specifically, we analyze how productivity and farm values changed in the western United States as a result of technological and policy changes that expanded access to ground and surface water. To statistically identify the effects, we compare counties based on their potential access to irrigation water defined by physical characteristics. We find areas with access to large streams and/or groundwater increase crop production relative to areas with only small streams by $19 billion annually, equivalent to 90 percent of the total annual increase in the western United States after 1940.

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