These are found at the national and regional levels in France and the Netherlands (six regions in Figure 4.7). In France, under the 2006 Loi sur I'Eau et les Milieux Aquatiques, the Prefets can create zones of environmental constraints on which they can impose water restrictions (Barraque et al., In recent years, the Upper Republican Natural Resources District has had an active land retirement program, spending USD 10 million to purchase 3 300 acres (1 300 hectares) of irrigated land in 2011 (in the Rock Creek area) and joining with the Middle and Lower Republican Natural Resources Districts and the Twin Platte Natural Resources District to purchase almost 20 000 acres (8 100 hectares) of land for USD 83 million in 2012 (McCabe, 2013). In both cases, the Natural Resources District is constructing stream augmentation projects that will link wells to nearby streams directly with a pipeline.