Title: Assessing the determinants of irrigated crop choices in the Kansas High Plains.

make verbatim copies of this document for non-commercial purposes by any means, provided that this copyright notice appears on all such copies. 2 Background Water is a major determinant in crop production. In the Kansas High Plains where natural precipitation is scarece, crop production relies heavily on irrigation water. Irrigated crop production is vertically linked to the livestock and meat processing sectors, which are the primary drivers of development in the regional economy, particularly in south western Kansas. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say “the High Plain economy runs on water ” (Peterson, Marsh, and Williams 2003). Because of the state’s climate, western Kansas has little surface water. Ground water is the principal source of fresh water in most of this area. The most important groundwater resource in western and south-central Kansas is the High Plains aquifer, which underlies approximately 33,500 square miles of 46 counties in Kansas and is present in seven other states in the Great Plains region of the United States. Irrigation accounts for over 90 % percent of groundwater use in the state. With the development of new irrigation technology in the 1960’s, irrigated crop production expanded considerably. Some lower quality lands which were previously unirrigable could now be irrigated. Therefore, the demand for water increased dramatically. With increased water withdrawals and a low rate of recharge, the decline of water table is irrevocable. In 1970’s, the depletion problem became apparent and attracted concerns from many economists and policy makers. Statement of the Problem The motivation of this research is the concern to groundwater conservation. To begin this study, it is important to understand that there are dynamic relationship