March 2, 2008--Farmers would rather lease rights than sell (Pueblo Chieftain)
A survey of South Platte River irrigators shows support for water leasing programs as an alternative to selling agricultural water to cities. “It’s amazing that water rights are private property rights, but the sale of them can have a public impact as well,” said James Pritchett, an agricultural economics researcher at Colorado State University. Pritchett said that lease-fallow programs, such as the concept of a Super Ditch program being promoted by the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, are among the most popular with farmers, with 63 percent saying they would be willing to participate if adequately compensated. Most farmers believed compensation should fall into the range of $225 to $575 per acre per year, according to the survey. Four-fifths of those surveyed also preferred an option that would allow them to lease water back as part of a contract.
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