According to the recently published 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the number of farms utilizing irrigation, the acreage of land irrigated, and the total water applied for irrigation have all seen a decline since 2018.
The survey revealed that there were 212,714 farms across the United States managing 53.1 million irrigated acres, applying a total of 81 million acre-feet of water in 2023. This marks a decrease from 2018, when 231,474 farms reported 55.9 million irrigated acres and 83.4 million acre-feet of water usage.
“The 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey, conducted every five years, expands on the data collected in the 2022 Census of Agriculture,” stated NASS Administrator Joseph L. Parsons. “This report offers detailed, comprehensive, up-to-date information specific to the agriculture industry’s use, management, and investment of water supplies and irrigation systems.”
Key findings from the survey
- Water usage: The total water used for irrigation in 2023 decreased by 2.8% from 2018, maintaining an average of 1.5 acre-feet applied per acre, consistent with the previous survey.
- Irrigated cropland: The majority of irrigated farmland was dedicated to cropland, including grains, oilseeds, vegetables, and hay, with 49.6 million acres of harvested cropland in the open being irrigated.
- Sources of water: Groundwater from on-farm wells constituted 54% of the irrigation water used, with the average well depth reported at 241 feet.
- Irrigation systems: The survey indicated a notable shift towards sprinkler systems, which accounted for 12.6 million more irrigated acres compared to gravity irrigation.
- Concentration of irrigated acres: Five states—Arkansas, California, Idaho, Nebraska, and Texas—accounted for nearly half of all irrigated acres and over half of total water applied.
- Investment in equipment: Farmers and ranchers spent approximately $3 billion on irrigation equipment, facilities, land improvements, and technology in 2023. Energy costs associated with pumping well and surface water totaled $3.3 billion.
- Horticulture irrigation: The area of irrigated horticulture under protection increased to 1.7 billion square feet in 2023, up from 1.5 billion square feet in 2018, with open horticulture growing to 598,980 acres.
The survey followed up with around 35,000 producers who reported using irrigation in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, gathering insights on water sources, irrigation types, and associated costs.
Implications for agriculture
Parsons highlighted the importance of this data for various stakeholders in the agricultural sector. “The 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey data provide valuable information that producers, farm organizations, businesses, state departments of agriculture, elected representatives, and legislative bodies at all levels of government can use to make agriculture water use more efficient,” he said.
The findings underline the need for continued focus on efficient water management practices as farmers face increasing challenges related to climate change and water scarcity. Access to detailed data will be crucial in shaping policies and technologies that support sustainable agricultural practices in the future.
