what percentage of freshwater use goes to agricultural irrigation

How much of the world’s freshwater is used for irrigation?

 · Estimates vary, but about 70 percent of all the world’s freshwater withdrawals go towards irrigation uses 1. Large-scale farming could not provide food for the world’s large populations without the irrigation of crop fields by water gotten from rivers, lakes, reservoirs , …

What percentage of crops are produced by irrigation?

 · Pointing out that the majority of fresh water reserves are used for irrigation, Külköylüoğlu explained: “We use water mostly to irrigate the land, that is, for agricultural purposes. Approximately 70 percent of the water used goes to agricultural irrigation. 22 percent of it is used for production and energy.

What is the average irrigation application rate per acre?

In the Mountain region, over 90 percent of the water withdrawn is used by agriculture, almost all (96 percent) for irrigation. Nationally, irrigation is the dominant agricultural water use, but …

Why estimate irrigation water use?

 · Print Email. “Agriculture uses 70 per cent of the world’s freshwater extraction, which means improvements in efficiency could make a big difference.”. But however, conflict between using water for agriculture or for drinking would remain, according to Raul Pacheco-Vega, a geographer at the Centre for Economic Research and Education in …

What is the percentage of water used in irrigation?

At present, irrigation consumes about 84 %of total available water. Industrial and domestic sectors consume about 12 and 4 %of total available water, respectively.

What percentage of water does agriculture use?

As previously mentioned, 70% of the world’s water is used for agriculture annually. That’s over 2 quadrillion gallons of water, enough to cover the entire United States in 2 feet of water.

What agriculture uses the most water?

Irrigated agriculture remains the largest user of water globally, a trend encouraged by the fact that farmers in most countries do not pay for the full cost of the water they use.

What percent of freshwater is used for industry?

19 percentShare of freshwater withdrawals used in industry Globally, approximately 19 percent of total water withdrawals are used for industrial purposes.

Where was the majority of irrigation in the US?

The majority of total U.S. irrigation withdrawals (81 percent) and irrigated acres (74 percent) were in the 17 conterminous Western States (west of solid line in map above). Surface water was the primary source of water in the arid West, except in California, Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, where more groundwater was used.

Why is accurate accounting of irrigation water use important?

Accurate accounting of irrigation water use is an important part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Use Information Program and the WaterSMART initiative to help maintain sustainable water resources in the Nation.

What are the sources of irrigation data?

Sources of data for irrigation withdrawals and irrigated acres included State and Federal crop reporting programs, irrigation districts, canal companies, incorporated management areas, satellite data depicting cropland landscapes, and evapotranspiration estimates. Withdrawals were estimated using information on irrigated crop acreages by crop type and specific crop water-consumption coefficients, or irrigation-system application rates, as well as soil-moisture balance models. Estimation methods varied from one State to the next and sometimes between geographic areas within a State. Estimation methods ideally included adjustments for climate, system efficiencies, conveyance losses, and other irrigation practices, such as pre-growing season irrigation, salt leaching, or frost protection. Other methods for estimating irrigation withdrawals included extrapolation of sample data on crop water-application rates or power-consumption coefficients.

What is irrigation water used for?

Irrigation water use includes water that is applied by an irrigation system to sustain plant growth in agricultural and horticultural practices. Irrigation also includes water that is used for pre-irrigation, frost protection, chemical application, weed control, field preparation, crop cooling, harvesting, dust suppression, and leaching salts from the root zone. Estimates of irrigation withdrawals are generally accounted for at the point of diversion (wells, springs, streams, ponds) and include water that is lost in conveyance prior to application on fields, as well as water that may subsequently return to a surface-water body as runoff after application, water consumed as evapotranspiration (ET) from plants and evaporated from the ground, or water that recharges aquifers as it seeps past the root zone.

How much more acres are irrigated in 2015 than in 2010?

About 19 percent more irrigated acres were reported using microirrigation systems between 2010 and 2015.

What is included in USGS irrigation?

Irrigation of golf courses, parks, nurseries, turf farms, cemeteries, and other self-supplied landscape-watering uses also are included in USGS irrigation estimates. Irrigation water use includes self-supplied withdrawals and deliveries from irrigation companies or districts, cooperatives, or governmental entities.

How much freshwater was withdrawn from the ground in 2015?

Groundwater withdrawals for 2015 were 57,200 Mgal/d.

How did irrigation affect the desert?

Irrigation made the desert bloom in the West and improved crop alternatives in the East. The less than 20 percent of cropland that is irrigated produces almost half of all crop sales. But this intensive, high-yielding agriculture takes many inputs—fertilizer, chemicals, management, and, especially, water.

Where do most agricultural water withdrawals occur?

Most agricultural water withdrawals occur in the arid Western States where irrigated production is concentrated. In 2000, about 85 percent of total agricultural withdrawals occurred in a 19-State area encompassing the Plains, Mountain, and Pacific regions. In the Mountain region, over 90 percent of the water withdrawn is used by agriculture, almost all (96 percent) for irrigation. Nationally, irrigation is the dominant agricultural water use, but water withdrawn for livestock and aquaculture production (including fish hatcheries) accounts for almost 20 percent of withdrawals in the North-Central and Eastern States. Even in these more humid States, irrigation is the dominant agricultural water use.

How much water was used for irrigation in 2000?

According to USGS data from their 2000 survey, water withdrawal for irrigation uses was estimated at 137,000 million gallons per day. This is equivalent to almost 2.5 acre-feet of water per acre irrigated. Irrigation use in 2000 accounted for about 40% of total freshwater withdrawals or 65% of all withdrawals with exclusion of thermoelectric power generation. See Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000 for more information about irrigation and other water uses.

What percentage of water is withdrawn from freshwater?

These values vary somewhat from country to country and from the less developed to more developed countries. In general, about 70% of the water withdrawn from freshwater sources globally supports agriculture, while about 20% supports industrial activities and 10% is used for municipal supplies. Water withdrawal and consumption are not the same metric and a much greater percentage of the water withdrawn for agriculture is actually consumed as irrigation water while a much smaller percentage of water withdrawn to support industrial and municipal supply is actually consumed and rendered unavailable for other uses. Worldwide, about 93% of the water consumed by humans goes to irrigated agriculture, while about 4% and 3%, respectively, are consumed by industry and municipal uses.

What is the difference between irrigation and livestock?

Agricultural water use can be divided between irrigation and livestock. Irrigation includes all water applied to farm or horticultural crops; livestock incorporates water used for livestock, dairies, feedlots, fish farms, and other farm needs.

How many gallons of water are in an acre foot?

A: The official standard quantity of water in an acre-foot is 325,851 gallons. However, for most purposes this value is generally rounded off to 326,000 gallons. An acre-foot is the quantity of water that will cover an acre of land surface, our official land area measurement in the United States, to a depth of one foot.

How much water does it take to grow oranges?

It takes about 50 glasses of water just to grow enough oranges to produce one glass of orange juice, for example.

What is drought in science?

A drought is a sustained and regionally extensive occurrence of appreciably below-average natural water availability in the form of precipitation, streamflow, or groundwater. Droughts are natural events of varying duration that have occurred throughout history and they are part of the cyclical fluctuations of our planet’s climate system.

Which states have over a million acres of land?

Idaho and Colorado have approximately 3 million each. The only states within the southeast with over a million acres in irrigation are Florida with about 2.2 million and Georgia with about 1.2 million acres.

What is the most important way to improve agricultural water use?

Management strategies are the most important way to improve agricultural water use and maintain optimal production and yield. The key is to implement management strategies that improve water use efficiency without decreasing yield. Some examples include improved irrigation scheduling and crop specific irrigation management.

What is agricultural water used for?

Agricultural water is used for irrigation, pesticide. , crop cooling (for example, light irrigation), and frost control.

How does water quality affect food?

Water quality can be affected by poor planning of industrial sites, animal farms, and barnyards and feedlots. Until recently, the type of water source has been indicative of the potential risks of contamination. Poor water quality can affect the quality of food crops and lead to illness in those who consume them. For example, the water may contain germs that cause human disease. Irrigating crops with contaminated water can then lead to contaminated food products which lead to illness when eaten. Groundwater, for example, has been considered one of the safest sources of water. However, depending on field location and field size, it may not be possible to use water from these sources for irrigation.

What are the sources of agricultural water?

Typical sources of agricultural water include: Surface water. Rivers, streams, and irrigation ditches. Open canals. Impounded water such as ponds, reservoirs, and lakes. Groundwater from wells. Rainwater. Locally collected water such as cisterns and rain barrels. Municipal water systems such as city and rural water can also be used …

How many acres of land are used for agriculture?

There are 330 million acres of land used for agricultural purposes in the United States that produce an abundance of food and other products (2). When agricultural water is used effectively and safely, production and crop yield are positively affected.

Can municipal water be used for agriculture?

Municipal water systems such as city and rural water can also be used for agricultural purposes.

Can you use groundwater for irrigation?

However, depending on field location and field size, it may not be possible to use water from these sources for irrigation.