As the bottom drops out of the Odessa Aquifers, a logical and economically feasible solution is evident throughout the area.  Irrigated farms can revert to dryland cropping.  Hundreds of thousands of acres of dryland wheat are grown throughout the Odessa Subarea and beyond.  Studies have shown that dryland farming is not as profitable as irrigated farming.  However, there has been little examination of how much is saved n terms of economic inputs, including irrigation systems, wells and electrical power, when farmers cease to irrigate.

Dryland wheat farming on the Columbia River plateau.

Next:   Conclusion