Potential Benefits of Water-Use Efficiency Technologies in Southeastern Wyoming

The southeastern portion of Wyoming is an agriculture-dependent area that relies heavily on groundwater from the High Plains Aquifer to grow crops. Like other states across the High Plains region, withdrawal rates in this area are higher than recharge rates, causing groundwater levels to decline. This study uses annual and intra-seasonal farm-level dynamic optimization models to determine whether water-use efficiency (WUE) technologies— specifically soil moisture sensors—can be beneficial to producers if water availability became more limited in the future. Results indicate that WUE technologies can help producers minimize financial losses that might otherwise occur from reduced water availability.