"Encouraging
the use of more efficient irrigation technology is often viewed as an
effective,
politically
feasible method to reduce the consumptive use of water for agricultural
production.
Despite
its widespread recommendation, it is not clear that increasing irrigation
efficiency will
lead
to water conservation in practice. In this article, we evaluate the effect on
groundwater
extraction
of a widespread conversion from traditional center pivot irrigation systems to
higher
efficiency
dropped-nozzle center pivot systems that has occurred in western Kansas. State
and
national
cost-share programs subsidized the conversion. On average, the intended
reduction in
water
use did not occur; the shift to more efficient irrigation technology has
increased groundwater
extraction, in part due
to shifting crop patterns."
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