Acreage, Residency and Excess-Land Sale: Striking a Balance between Modern Agriculture and Historic Water Policy

This comment examines acreage and residency limitations on federally subsidized water. The first issue addressed by the author is whether the present 160-acre irrigation entitlement should be raised to conform with modern agriculture. The second issue addressed by the author is the requirement that any purchaser of excess land would be required to reside within fifty miles of the land. The author concludes by examining current proposals for sale of excess land owned by persons not meeting the acreage limitation and by non-residents as well as legislation recommending government purchase of excess land, sale to would-be buyers lacking money and financing, and federally guaranteed loans to buyers