PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Monger, Randall G. AU - Suter, Jordan F. AU - Manning, Dale T. AU - Schneekloth, Joel P. TI - Retiring Land to Save Water: Participation in Colorado’s Republican River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program AID - 10.3368/le.94.1.36 DP - 2018 Feb 01 TA - Land Economics PG - 36--51 VI - 94 IP - 1 4099 - http://le.uwpress.org/content/94/1/36.short 4100 - http://le.uwpress.org/content/94/1/36.full SO - Land Econ2018 Feb 01; 94 AB - Agricultural land retirement is increasingly used to manage water resources. This study uses well-level enrollment data to explore the factors that influence landowner participation in the Colorado Republican River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. An empirical model of enrollment is informed by a theoretical model of participation that incorporates aquifer and soil characteristics in addition to financial incentives. Our results reveal that enrollment is predicted to increase by 0.087 percentage points with a $10 increase in the incentives offered. The probability of enrollment is also influenced by the aquifer’s saturated thickness and the soil characteristics that impact land productivity. (JEL Q25)