**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE OVERALL GOAL OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO INVESTIGATE USING COMPARISONS OF PRODUCERS' WATER USE EFFICIENCY (WUE) TO PEERS AS A TOOL FOR WATER CONSERVATION. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL EXAMINE HOW RECEIVING REPORT CARDS WITH PEER COMPARISONS OF WUES INFLUENCE WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICE (WMP) USES BY THE CONTESTANTS OF THE ARKANSAS IRRIGATION YIELD CONTESTS (2018-2021), WHICH ARE ORGANIZED BY CO-PD HENRY AND ARE THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO TARGET WUE. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY WHICH WMPS AND COMBINATIONS OF WMPS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER WUES AND QUANTIFY THE SPILLOVER EFFECTS OF THE CONTESTS ON NON-CONTESTANT PRODUCERS. THE COMPARISONS AMONG PEERS INSTEAD OF NEIGHBORS AND THE USE OF WUE, WHICH ALIGNS WITH PRODUCERS' PROFIT INCENTIVES BETTER THAN WATER USE ALONE, DISTINGUISH THIS PROJECT FROM THE FEW STUDIES ON APPLYING BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS TO AGRICULTURAL WATER PROGRAMS. A PRODUCER SURVEY WILL BE USED TO TRACK PRODUCERS' WMP USES BETWEEN 2016 AND 2022. BOTH CONTESTANTS AND A COMPARISON GROUP WILL BE INTERVIEWED. THE RANDOMLY SELECTED SAMPLE FROM THE 2016 ARKANSAS IRRIGATION SURVEY, CONDUCTED BY PD HUANG AND CO-PD HENRY, WILL BE USED AS THE COMPARISON GROUP. TO MINIMIZE SAMPLE SELECTION BIAS BECAUSE PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTESTS IS VOLUNTARY, STATISTICAL METHODS INCLUDING MATCHING, DIFFERENCE-IN-DIFFERENCE, WEIGHTING AND INSTRUMENTAL VARIABLE ESTIMATION WILL BE USED. THE ROBUSTNESS OF RESULTS WILL BE CHECKED WITH SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS SUCH AS ROSENBAUM BOUNDS. FINDINGS WILL ASSIST WATER POLICY MAKERS AND PRODUCERS IN ARKANSAS AND OTHER STATES IN DECISION-MAKING. THE PROJECT WILL TRAIN ONE POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE AND TWO MASTER STUDENTS.