Development and application of a multiperiod linear programming model for water management in the Willcox Basin, Arizona
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The Department of Economic Science was founded in 1898 to teach economic theory as a truth of industrial life, and was very much concerned with applying economics to business and industry, particularly agriculture. Between 1910 and 1967 it showed the growing influence of other social studies, such as sociology, history, and political science. Today it encompasses the majors of Agricultural Business (preparing for agricultural finance and management), Business Economics, and Economics (for advanced studies in business or economics or for careers in financing, management, insurance, etc).
History
The Department of Economic Science was founded in 1898 under the Division of Industrial Science (later College of Liberal Arts and Sciences); it became co-directed by the Division of Agriculture in 1919. In 1910 it became the Department of Economics and Political Science. In 1913 it became the Department of Applied Economics and Social Science; in 1924 it became the Department of Economics, History, and Sociology; in 1931 it became the Department of Economics and Sociology. In 1967 it became the Department of Economics, and in 2007 it became co-directed by the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Business.
Dates of Existence
1898–present
Historical Names
- Department of Economic Science (1898–1910)
- Department of Economics and Political Science (1910-1913)
- Department of Applied Economics and Social Science (1913–1924)
- Department of Economics, History and Sociology (1924–1931)
- Department of Economics and Sociology (1931–1967)
Related Units
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (parent college)
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (parent college)
- College of Business (parent college)
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Abstract
Water for irrigation in the Willcox Basin, Arizona, is scarce and the water table is declining. Water pumping costs are increasing as a result of such a decline;The objectives of this study are: (1) to develop a multiperiod linear programming model; and (2) to apply the model to data from the area of study for the purposes of (a) providing a basis for allocating water in the area of study at the highest present value net returns over time, and (b) appraising selected policy options as means for achieving the above water allocation objective. The model consists of linear programming to optimize annual water pumping and of fortran to accomplish revisions and adjustments to accommodate the variables which change over time. The study period covers forty years starting from 1981 and ending in 2021 with optimum solutions at five year intervals;Four scenarios were developed as an inherent part of the analysis, consisting of (1) no-change scenario, meaning that price, cost, and yield remained constant over time at their 1981 levels of value; (2) cost-increase scenario, meaning that price and yield remained constant over time and cost increased by 3 percent annually; (3) price-, cost- and yield-increase scenario, meaning price, cost, and yield increased by an annual rate of 2, 3, and .7 percent, respectively; and (4) price- and yield-increase scenario, meaning that price and yield increased by an annual rate of 2 and .7 percent, respectively;Because the increase in pumping costs from 47.10 in 1981 to 97.34 in 2021, it was concluded that there would be little danger of exhausting the water supply for irrigation by 2021 but public policy may have to decide limitations on pumping each year within the range which extends from pumping only annual recharge (51,000 acre-feet of water) to unrestricted pumping. That is, public policy may have to provide choices between lower net returns and pumping limits and higher net returns and no pumping limits. If public interest favors present generations, its decision would be close to the unlimited pumping level. But if public interest favors future generations, the decision would be to limit pumping to the appropriate annual recharge. Taxes, quotas, and allotments would help in achieving the latter choice.