Irrigation, Water Conservation, and Farm Size in the Western United States, 1998-2008

Description

Agriculture is a major user of ground and surface water in the United States, accounting for 80 percent of the Nation's consumptive water use and over 90 percent in many Western States. This ERS research program investigates water allocation, water conservation, and water management issues facing irrigated agriculture. The focus is on irrigated agriculture, but other sectors are examined for their competitive influence on water supplies and impacts of water reallocations among agricultural, environmental, and urban users. It includes consideration of the role of water markets, producer decisions, institutional adjustments (including Federal water infrastructure), and water-related policies with respect to resource costs, water quality, profitability, and environmental effects, as well as analysis of the adoption of water conserving technologies.