{"id":205,"date":"2025-08-20T13:50:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T19:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/?post_type=research&#038;p=205"},"modified":"2026-04-15T22:50:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T04:50:21","slug":"water-conservation-on-grass-pastures","status":"publish","type":"research","link":"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/research\/water-conservation-on-grass-pastures\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Conservation on Grass Pastures in the Upper Colorado River Basin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- block -->\n<div class=\"custom-block-wrappper text-block stacked lite top-spacing-default bottom-spacing-default\">\n\n    <h2>Purpose of the Report<\/h2>\n<p>This report explores what it will take to make voluntary, temporary, and compensated irrigation<br \/>\nwithdrawals on grass pastures feasible for livestock producers, with a focus on western Colorado. Our<br \/>\naim is to provide insights that support the development of workable programs and policies that contribute<br \/>\nto meaningful regional water conservation, without undermining the long-term viability of irrigated<br \/>\nagriculture or livestock operations.<\/p>\n<p><em>Raise Report 25-01 | Working Draft | April 2026 | A Final Revised Version is Planned for Summer 2026<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Colorado State University | College of Agricultural Sciences &amp; CSU Extension | Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<!-- END block -->\n\n\n<!-- block -->\n<div class=\"custom-block-wrapper accordion-block stylized dark top-spacing-default bottom-spacing-default\">\n\n    <!-- component -->\n    <ul class=\"accordion panel-component\" data-accordion data-multi-expand=\"false\" data-allow-all-closed=\"true\" data-deep-link=\"true\" data-deep-link-smudge=\"true\" data-deep-link-smudge-delay=\"600\">\n\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        <!-- accordion.item -->\n        <li class=\"accordion-item \" data-accordion-item>\n\n            <a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">Full Report<\/a>\n\n            <div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content >\n\n                <p>All Briefs (one page summary &amp; supplemental information, tables, and figures) and Front Matter:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1odWbaROCw4kyhlPK_EYuJb8QQv8O36Bz\/view?usp=sharing\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-45753\">Full Report RAISE 25-01<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/li>\n        <!-- END accordion.item -->\n\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        <!-- accordion.item -->\n        <li class=\"accordion-item \" data-accordion-item>\n\n            <a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">Front Matter<\/a>\n\n            <div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content >\n\n                <p>Cover Page, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, Foreword: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Front-Matter.pdf\">Front Matter<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/li>\n        <!-- END accordion.item -->\n\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        <!-- accordion.item -->\n        <li class=\"accordion-item \" data-accordion-item>\n\n            <a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">Introduction: Framing the Report<\/a>\n\n            <div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content >\n\n                <p>Making Voluntary Irrigation Withdrawals on Grass Pasture Work for Livestock Production and Water Conservation in the Upper Basin<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Mooney, Dana Hoag, Seth Mason, Perry Cabot<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Introduction.pdf\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-45758\">Introduction<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/li>\n        <!-- END accordion.item -->\n\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        <!-- accordion.item -->\n        <li class=\"accordion-item \" data-accordion-item>\n\n            <a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">Brief #1: Measuring Water Conservation<\/a>\n\n            <div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content >\n\n                <p>Estimating the Water Conservation Potential of Voluntary Irrigation Withdrawals on Working Livestock Pastures<\/p>\n<p>Perry Cabot, Adwoa Serwaa Amankwaa, Jos\u00e9 Ch\u00e1vez<\/p>\n<p>Full Report: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-1.pdf\">Brief 1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Report Summary: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-1-Executive-Summary.pdf\">Brief 1 Executive Summary<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Supplemental Info, Tables, &amp; Figures: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-1-More-Info.pdf\">Brief 1 More Info<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/li>\n        <!-- END accordion.item -->\n\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        <!-- accordion.item -->\n        <li class=\"accordion-item \" data-accordion-item>\n\n            <a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">Brief #2: Assessing Impacts<\/a>\n\n            <div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content >\n\n                <p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Evaluating Yield Performance across a Spectrum of Irrigation Withdrawal Scenarios in Pasture-Livestock Systems<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Perry Cabot<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Full Report:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/dare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/141\/2025\/06\/Brief-2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"attachment noopener wp-att-45747\">Brief 2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Report Summary:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/dare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/141\/2025\/06\/Brief-2-Executive-Summary.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"attachment noopener wp-att-45745\">Brief 2 Executive Summary<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Supplemental Info, Tables, &amp; Figures:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/agsci.colostate.edu\/dare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/141\/2025\/06\/Brief-2-More-Info.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"attachment noopener wp-att-45746\">Brief 2 More Info<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/li>\n        <!-- END accordion.item -->\n\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        <!-- accordion.item -->\n        <li class=\"accordion-item \" data-accordion-item>\n\n            <a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">Brief #3: Managing Implementation<\/a>\n\n            <div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content >\n\n                <p>Practical Guidance for Implementing Voluntary Irrigation Withdrawals on Pasture-Based Livestock Operations<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Mooney, Perry Cabot, Dan Waldvogle, Mike Higuera<\/p>\n<p>Full Report: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-3.pdf\">Brief 3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Report Summary: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-3-Executive-Summary.pdf\">Brief 3 Executive Summary<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Supplemental Info, Tables, &amp; Figures: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-3-More-Info.pdf\">Brief 3 More Info<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/li>\n        <!-- END accordion.item -->\n\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        <!-- accordion.item -->\n        <li class=\"accordion-item \" data-accordion-item>\n\n            <a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">Brief #4: Incentivizing Participation<\/a>\n\n            <div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content >\n\n                <p>Determining the Impact of Voluntary Irrigation Withdrawals and Water Conservation Payments on Livestock Producers\u2019 Bottom Line<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Mooney, Dana Hoag, Perry Cabot<\/p>\n<p>Full Report: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/Brief-4.pdf\">Brief 4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Report Summary: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/Brief-4-Executive-Summary.pdf\">Brief 4 Executive Summary<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Supplemental Info, Tables, &amp; Figures: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/04\/Brief-4-More-Info.pdf\">Brief 4 More Info<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/li>\n        <!-- END accordion.item -->\n\n        \n        \n        \n        \n        <!-- accordion.item -->\n        <li class=\"accordion-item \" data-accordion-item>\n\n            <a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">Brief #5: Predicting Participation<\/a>\n\n            <div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content >\n\n                <p>Identifying Factors Associated with Farmer Willingness to Participate in Regional Water Conservation Programs<\/p>\n<p>Seth Mason, Dana Hoag, Daniel Mooney<\/p>\n<p>Full Report: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-5.pdf\">Brief 5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Report Summary: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-5-Executive-Summary.pdf\">Brief 5 Executive Summary<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Supplemental Info, Tables, &amp; Figures: <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/08\/Brief-5-More-Info.pdf\">Brief 5 More Info<\/a><\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/li>\n        <!-- END accordion.item -->\n\n        \n    <\/ul>\n    <!-- END component -->\n\n<\/div>\n<!-- END block -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":172,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true},"class_list":["post-205","research","type-research","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research\/205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/research"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/labs.agsci.colostate.edu\/raise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}