Economic and Hydrologic Implications of Selected Water Policy Alternatives for the Southern Ogallala Aquifer

The primary objective of this study was to analyze and evaluate the impacts of selected water conservation policy alternatives on the Ogallala Aquifer underlying the Southern High Plains of Texas and Eastern New Mexico for the purposes of identifying which alternative or alternatives most effectively achieve conservation of the aquifer and keep the heavily agriculturally dependent economy viable. The specific objectives were to: 1. Determine the characteristics of water conservation policy alternatives which could extend the economic life of the aquifer, and 2. Evaluate the economic life of the aquifer across the region under different water conservation alternatives for a sixty year planning horizon

Macroeconomic Impacts of Water Use in Agriculture

The recent/current recession provides the opportunity to study the effects of the macroeconomic changes on the agricultural production systems in the Great Plains and trace some of its impacts through the system to changes in primary inputs such water resource use. Therefore, the objective of the study reported here was to determine the effects of the changes in macroeconomic conditions driven by the 2008 recession on irrigated crop production in a portion of the Southern Great Plains and its impacts on water use. The approach for the study was to: (1) use the 10-year baseline FAPRI projections, based on changes in macroeconomic conditions, of agricultural commodity prices and input costs between the beginning of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, and (2) apply these different conditions within the Southern High Plains Ogallala Model (OM) in three counties representing different water situations and cropping patterns in the region. Overall results indicate that the 2008 recession likely had a relatively small impact on water use in the Southern Great Plains. Water use within the region is responsive to economic forces only when increased pumping flexibility exists; when water withdrawals are already at or near capacity, macroeconomic changes and changes in pumping costs and commodity prices are not likely to change water use.Ogallala Aquifer, recession, macroeconomic, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Production Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, E00, Q15, Q30, Q31,

Economic Efficiency of Short-Term Versus Long-Term Water Rights Buyouts

Because of the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer, water districts, regional water managers, and state water officers are becoming increasingly interested in conservation policies. This study evaluates both short-term and long-term water rights buyout policies. This research develops dynamic production functions for the major crops in the Texas Panhandle. The production functions are incorporated into optimal temporal allocation models that project annual producer behavior, crop choices, water use, and aquifer declines over 60 years. Results suggest that long-term buyouts may be more economically efficient than short-term buyouts.dynamic production function, nonlinear optimization, Ogallala Aquifer, water rights buyout, Agribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q30, Q32, Q38,

Semantic Communication with Conceptual Spaces

Despite the fact that Shannon and Weaver's Mathematical Theory of Communication was published over 70 years ago, all communication systems continue to operate at the first of three levels defined in this theory: the technical level. In this letter, we argue that a transition to the semantic level embodies a natural, important step in the evolution of communication technologies. Furthermore, we propose a novel approach to engineering semantic communication using conceptual spaces and functional compression. We introduce a model of semantic communication utilizing this approach, and present quantitative simulation results demonstrating performance gains on the order of 3dB.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessibl

The Impact of Trauma on Graduate Occupational Therapy Students: Trauma-Informed Implications for Educators

Recent worldwide events have led to a dramatic increase in reported levels of anxiety in college students and individuals aged 18-29. If there is currently a marked increase in anxiety and stress responses in college age students and traumatic events negatively impact an individual’s ability to participate in their education, it is reasonable to assume that the occupational disruption that students are currently experiencing negatively impacts their ability to participate adequately in their education. This study explored the impact of trauma on graduate occupational therapy students (OTS) from entry-level programs. A mixed-methods survey was utilized to gain the perspectives of graduate OTS (n=74) currently attending programs in the Northeastern portion of the United States who have experienced acute, chronic, and/or complex trauma. Participants completed an online survey consisting of 26 Likert-style, true/false, and open-ended short answer questions. Results indicate that trauma is highly impactful on all areas of occupation, including education. Additionally, students indicated that they are fearful of stigma when discussing trauma and informing educators of its impacts on education, therefore benefiting from open and communicative educators. Further, results support previous research that trauma influences many aspects of academic performance, such as attention, memory, and volition. The information gathered indicates that educators should be aware of the likelihood of students being impacted by trauma and understand how to successfully support students universally through trauma-informed strategies

The Impact of Spatial Variation in Land Use Patterns and Aquifer Characteristics on the Agricultural Cost of Groundwater Conservation for the Southern Ogallala Aquifer

Land Economics/Use,

Aquifer Depletion and the Cost of Water Conservation: The Southern High Plains of Texas Case

Irrigated agriculture has played a vital role in the development and growth of the Great Plains Region of the United States. The primary source of water for irrigation in this region is the Ogallala Aquifer. The Southern portion of the Ogallala Aquifer is considered exhaustible due to the low level of recharge relative to the quantities of water pumped. Analysis and evaluation of water conservation policies which could extend the economic life of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Southern High Plains of Texas and Eastern New Mexico, and which could contribute to maintaining the viability of the regional economy is important. This study evaluates the impacts of water conservation policies which limit drawdown of the Ogallala Aquifer. County level dynamic optimization models maximizing net present value of net returns to land, management, groundwater, and irrigation systems over a sixty year planning horizon were formulated to evaluate three aquifer drawdown restrictions. The results of this study indicate that because of the differences in hydrologic characteristics and current irrigation levels across counties in the study area, blanket water conservation policies for the region as a whole are likely to be inefficient. This study concludes that for this region, water conservation policies that focus on counties that would deplete the aquifer to less than 30 ft. of saturated thickness possess the lowest implicit cost of conserving saturated thickness.water conservation, water policy evaluation, aquifer management, dynamic optimization, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Policy Alternatives for the Southern Ogallala Aquifer

Due to declining water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer, policy alternatives for extending the life of the aquifer for irrigation and other purposes are evaluated. The study concludes that blanket water conservation policies for the region are likely to be inefficient because of economic and hydrologic differences in the region.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Música patagón : navigating authenticity in Puelche music

This report examines the emergent genre of “música patagón”, or Patagonian music, in the context of music production among the Puelche, or the eastern Mapuche people of southern Argentina. By analyzing several songs produced by Puelche musicians at the music recording studio Sala Patagón, I argue that the classification “patagón” challenges both Argentine and Mapuche understandings of genre. Música patagón can be defined by three major features: the use of the native Mapuche language of Mapudungun alongside the official Spanish language, the use of lyrical content related to Mapuche traditions and territory, and the use of Mapuche sonic elements such as musical instruments and rhythms. I argue that within the body of a primarily Spanish language text, Mapudungun words serve both iconic and indexical functions, allowing Puelche musicians a means through which to perform a Mapuche identity in the case of limited language fluency within the community. The performance of this identity is complicated by linguistic and cultural ideologies regarding authenticity, both from Mapuche and non-Mapuche audiences. Through the process of writing, recording, and disseminating music in this genre, Mapuche musicians strive to shift their language and culture from the margins of Argentine society into the everyday life of both the transnational Mapuche diaspora and the non-indigenous Argentine public. In these contexts, música patagón functions not only to assert a historically-based Mapuche identity, but also serves to create a novel vision of a future-oriented Mapuche public that transcends national, linguistic, geographic, and even ethnic boundaries. Through the medium of music, Mapuche people in southern Argentina actively create and negotiate a shifting vision of what it means to be Mapuche, what it means to be Patagonian, what it means to be Argentine, and how these identities conflict and intersect in Argentina todayAnthropolog

Consonants and syllable structure in Angaité (Enlhet-Enenlhet)

This paper describes the consonant inventory and syllable structure in Angaité, a member of the Enlhet-Enenlhet family. Angaité utilizes 14 consonants which are described in this paper: five voiceless stops, three nasals, three fricatives, and three approximants. Two possible analyses of syllable structure are discussed, each of which results in slightly different restrictions on the distribution of glides within syllables as well as the relative frequency of different syllable structures. This paper also briefly sketches what is known of the vowel system in Angaité and how it relates to other suprasegmental features. Finally, this paper situates Angaité in the context of the language family and the broader Chaco region in which it is spoken, and it outlines key areas for future research in Angaité phonology.Linguistic