The Playa Land Use Calculator helps producers make decisions about how to manage playas in fields that are typically farmed and determine how USDA conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wetland Reserve Easements, and Conservation Reserve Program can meet their operational objectives.
The calculator helps determine the amount needed to enroll your playa, instead of farming it, and estimate playa restoration costs. You can also find out how much water you could be sending back into your groundwater supply and other benefits of playa restoration, enter your own field details or use defaults to get a ballpark figure to help determine your bid amount, and compare good and bad years by adjusting crop prices, crop types, and how often crops are lost.
The calculator is available to download as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (version 1.2, updated Feb. 1, 2022). To learn how to use the calculator, watch the tutorial video.
Funding for the Playa Land Use Calculator was provided by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kansas and New Mexico.