Cotton Production Potential and Water Conservation Impact Using the Regional Irrigation Demand Model of Northern Texas

Revised irrigation demands are calculated for the 21 northernmost counties in Texas, identified as Region A, using the TAMA (Texas A&M—Amarillo) agricultural water use demand estimation model. Year 2000 demands are presented using the existing mixture of crops, average evapotranspiration values and actual irrigation application practice values. Current demand values are expected to exceed the allowable water supply in several, intensively irrigated counties within the region. Thus, the alternative, lower water use crop of cotton is evaluated in terms of substitution potential for the presently produced, more intensive water use crop of corn. Although cotton has significant, differing production requirements in northern Texas, successful production has been documented within the region at the North Plains Research Field (NPRF) and average yield parameters are presented. The water savings impact of converting percentages of county acreages from corn to cotton is reported and discussed. The water conservation impact to the Ogallala aquifer is calculated over the region's current 60-year planning horizon. The potential impact of recent ethanol demands is briefly discussed.