Recipient Organization
ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY
504 COLLEGE DRIVE
ALBANY,GA 31705
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center proposes this project with the over-arching goal of preparing the Georgia agricultural sector to adapt to a changing water policy environment in the state. The water resource management environment has and will continue to change markedly in Georgia as a result of the convergence of a number of factors, including a new state water management plan, changes in the management plan for the Flint River Basin, severe drought conditions, interstate conflicts over water resources, federal endangered species concerns, and increasing demand for water that has resulted from economic growth. The implications for Georgia agriculture are significant. This project is designed to support agricultural producers and policymakers in designing effective and equitable policies to govern how water is allocated to and used by the agricultural sector. It is directed toward securing water access for agriculture while providing for the long-term
protection of natural systems. The coming year will be especially critical to the future of agricultural water policy and management in Georgia. The state legislature adopted the new Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan in January, and state agencies are beginning the implementation process. Additionally, interstate water conflicts and potential endangered species litigation are looming over water management decisions in the region. Better tools to address water resource management concerns for agriculture are needed as soon as possible to protect the agricultural sector and others in the state from the external threats to water management in Georgia. The heightened concerns over water scarcity, use, allocation, and conservation have resulted in a near "perfect storm" for water management in the Southeast. Proactive policies that can mitigate these concerns are needed to prevent the ill effects of reactionary policy-making that could result if crisis conditions develop. The
tasks that we have proposed will provide the agricultural sector in Georgia with tools that they will need to adapt to new conditions given the current regulatory, climatic, and economic pressures. Tasks (1), (2), and (3) are focused on recent changes in state water policy (e.g., state water plan, Flint River Drought Protection Act) that could have substantial implications for agriculture. Our efforts will focus on projecting the impact of these new policies and, where appropriate, proposing alternatives or modifications to improve fairness, increase certainty, or resolve conflicts for agricultural producers in the state. Task (4) will assist producers in the Southwest Georgia in making more efficient use of water with the Irrigator Pro software. Finally Task (5) is focused on stakeholder outreach, and it will keep Georgia farmers informed and engaged in the policy processes that affect agricultural water resource management in the state. The project has applicability beyond our
state. Georgia water resource concerns and policies are mirrored in many eastern states. Our work will inform the discussions of agricultural water policy in these states, as well as our own.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center proposes this project with the over-arching goal of preparing and assisting the Georgia agricultural sector to adapt to a changing water policy environment in the state. For FY2009, the following objectives will be addressed by the tasks included within this proposal: (1) Complete an assessment of the implications for irrigated agriculture of the new Georgia Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan; (2) Simulate the irrigation-reduction auction required by the revised regulations that implement the Flint River Drought Protection Act (FRDPA) and use results to explore the necessity of regulatory changes; (3) Provide Georgia policymakers with a set of policy recommendations to adapt agricultural water policy to the new state water plan, aquatic endangered species concerns, and interstate conflicts; (4) Integrate Irrigator Pro into the Farmer Portal; and (5) Educate and engage agricultural stakeholders in water policy
development and implementation.
Project Methods
Overall, the primary methods for this project include policy analysis (with a focus on the use of economic methods) and stakeholder outreach. The primary source of evaluation is feedback from stakeholders and policymakers who rely on our work for information support. Task (1) We will conduct an exhaustive review of the new Georgia Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan and discuss the results in meetings with farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the Lower Flint River Basin. We will analyze potential implementation scenarios for consumptive use budgeting in agricultural regions and assess their impacts on the agricultural sector. We will also monitor the new regional planning process as it develops. Methods will include stakeholder meetings, policy meeting attendance, policy analysis, and communication with policymakers and stakeholders. Evaluation will primarily come from stakeholder and policymaker discussion and comments. Task (2) We will develop a
desktop simulation model that will allow us to evaluate how an irrigation auction would be likely to proceed under revisions to the Flint River Drought Protection Act (FRDPA). This project will simulate expected farm-level and regional impacts of an invoked FRDPA using two mechanisms: (1) linear programming application to simulate participation under FRDPA; (2) regional economic impact modeling using Regional Economic Modeling, Inc. (REMI) software to analyze the impact of unrealized revenue from decreased irrigation. We will analyze three policy scenarios, and our model will be adaptable for analyzing additional alternative policies, if necessary. Task (3) Following from tasks (1) and (2), we will extend our policy analysis to consider alternative policies and make recommendations for policy alternatives that would improve the equity and effectiveness of water policy as it affects the agricultural sector in the state. Task (4) We will incorporate an Irrigator Pro module into the
Portal that will allow data entry, manipulation and reporting from any computer connected to the Internet. This task will be performed primarily by a staff computer programmer, with support from programming staff at the USDA National Peanut Research Lab. Evaluation will come from "beta" testing of the module within the Farmer Portal. Task (5) The Center has established an extensive program of outreach to Georgia agricultural producers on water resource issues. We provide information in presentations, workshops, publications, and meetings (formal and informal). We also participate in water policy development processes in order to provide for informed discussion of water policy issues, especially as it affects the agricultural sector and relates to our research and mission. In doing so, our outreach extends to a larger audience, including agency personnel, other water users, and state policymakers. We will continue these efforts in the coming year to support our efforts in the other
tasks listed above. We will partner with the Flint River Regional Water Council in this task.