A study of the effects of institutions on the distribution and use of water for irrigation in the Lower Rio Grande Basin

Abstract

Water users in the Lower Rio Grande Basin of Texas have depended on the flow of the Rio Grande to supply water for agricultural as well as municipal and industrial purposes. Although the area is a major agricultural production region, it faces continuing problems associated with use of irrigation water from the Rio Grande. Periodic water shortages threaten to limit the potential growth and economic well-being of the area. Inefficient use of available water supplies as a result of inadequate and/or antiquated distribution facilities and inefficient management of water on farms contributes to the depletion of available water supplies for irrigation and other uses. The objectives of this study were: (1) to study the effects of water rights as allocative devices for water to determine the impact on cropping patterns and water use efficiency of a change which would make rights negotiable, and (2) to study the influence of Water Control and Improvement Districts on the distribution and use of water; to determine whether the ways in which these Districts are organized and operated may cause them to act as facilitating or obstructing elements in the efficient development and use of water resources in the Valley. ...