New Study Finds State’s Agricultural Water Users Managing Supplies Efficiently
Claims that California farmers are wasteful and inefficient when it comes to managing their water supplies are inaccurate, according to a new study released yesterday by California State University, Fresno.
"Agricultural Water Use in California: A 2011 Update" reviews published research and technical data to assess the overall potential for agricultural water use efficiency to provide new water supplies. Authored by staff at Fresno State's Center for Irrigation Technology, the study found that little potential exists for new water unless large swaths of agricultural land are taken out of production, which technically is not water use efficiency.
Key findings include:
- The estimated potential new water from agricultural water use efficiency is 1.3% of the current amount used by the state’s farmers – about 330,000 acre‐feet per year.
- Groundwater overdraft of about 2 million acre‐feet per year continues to be a serious problem in certain regions of California because of inconsistent and uncertain surface water supplies.
- Changes in irrigation practices, such as switching from flood irrigation to drip, have the effect of rerouting flows within a region (or basin), but generally do not create new water outside of the basin.
- Previous reallocations of agricultural water supplies for environmental purposes represent at least 5% of farm water diversions depending on water year.
- On‐farm water conservation efforts can affect downstream water distribution patterns, with potential impacts on plants and animals, recreation, as well as human and industrial consumptive uses.
"This study makes it clear that agricultural water users are on the right track when it comes to managing the water supplies so critical to growing food and fiber in California," ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn said in a statement. "This will be extremely important in the broader conversation about solutions to California’s long-term water needs."
View the report.
