Drought Fact Sheet #5

Agriculture and Community Drought Planning

Agriculture Has Vast Impact on Water Supply and Quality
How Does Agriculture Affect Drought Planning? The classic definition of drought is frequently associated with reduced rainfall that affects crops and other plants. Agricultural crop failure is commonly used as the visual image of drought, and we often see the drought index associated with agricultural reports. However, drought is much more that just wilted plants. There are potential economic impacts to our local community and far reaching impacts to the nations food supply. Drought can increase food prices and upset household budgets far from the site of the drought. In addition, Agriculture uses an estimated 75% of the water consumed in the United States, of which 40% is groundwater (USAID, 1985) (Sandra Postel, 1997). Even if your community is not primarily an agricultural community, this high usage level makes Agriculture a significant water user, and it is very important to include them in community drought planning.

A drought stunted soybean plant withers under the Arkansas sun.

The Ogallala aquifer waters 20% of the irrigated land in the United States and is being depleted 20 times faster than it is being recharged. (Peter H. Bleich, 1993)
How Does Agriculture Impact Our Water Supply? Agriculture uses both surface and groundwater supplies for irrigation, livestock production, wash down water for dairies and a wide variety of other purposes. Usually, the most significant water use is for irrigation. The actual volume of water used for irrigating each acre of cropland can vary widely. The most efficient water use is usually observed when drip irrigation, mechanized low-energy precision application (LEPA), or micro-spray technologies are used. These technologies often

require 40% less water than other technologies such a furrow flood and high-pressure sprinkler irrigation. Additional information about these water saving technologies can be found at www.irrigation.org and www.cropinfo.net/drip.htm. The least efficient water use is typically flood irrigation over unleveled fields. The withdrawal of large volumes of water from our groundwater and surface water is only one of the impacts irrigation may have on our water resources. Poorly managed irrigation systems may saturate the soil and leach nutrients into the underlying groundwater supplies. Agricultural fields may also generate surface runoff that can carry pollutants into nearby streams. In order for all crops in a flood-irrigated field to receive water, excess tailwater is usually generated at the end of the field, flowing back to a canal or stream. Precision application systems such as drip, mechanized LEPA and micro-spray systems are seldom associated with these problems because of the lower flow rates and greater control inherent in their design.

There are a host of other impacts that other agricultural water users can have on water resources. Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) generate large quantities of livestock waste, which has the potential to leach into groundwater or flow across the soil surface into surface water. Agricultural operations also use significant quantities of herbicides, pesticides, and petroleum products. For a discussion of agricultural water pollution see http://www.fao.org/docrep/W2598E/ w2598e04.htm.

you can contact your state water master. Groundwater extraction permits are now becoming much more common. Local water districts, county governments and state agencies sometimes administer groundwater extraction permits. The Importance of Agriculture in Community Drought Planning As one of the largest water users in most communities, it is vital that agriculture is included in any drought planning activities. Agriculture is reported to use over 75% of all of the water used in the United States. In some farming communities this percentage is significantly higher. As a result, even small savings in agricultural uses have the potential to make a significant difference in the total water supply. In addition, drought planning that supports conversion to high efficiency irrigation has the potential to reduce water consumption without adversely affecting farm production. However, this water savings may come at a cost to farm operators. Making this part of a Drought Plan may provide an opportunity for Agricultural Producers and communities to work together to secure this funding from existing sources. For additional information on funding you may visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/ eqipfact.html.

CAFOs generate large quantities of livestock waste which can impact the quality of our groundwater.

In the Conchos Basin, a tributary to the Rio Grande, irrigation water accounts for over 90% of the water use. (Mary E. Kelly, 2002)
Agriculture may not only define drought, as discussed in the introduction, it may also provide a significant opportunity for mitigating it. The NARC&DC would like to thank the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service for their assistance in the development of this fact sheet.

Water Regulations That Impact Agriculture Regulations imposed on Agriculture cover two general areas: how they get water and how they dispose of water. Most agricultural producers secure water from a surface water source or from groundwater. Some rely on surface water from reservoirs. Water taken from streams has long been regulated by state and, to a lesser degree, federal water laws. Water levels in reservoirs are often regulated by a federal agency such as the Bureau of Reclamation. The minimum allowable level can change depending on if it is a drought year or not. For more information on water rights in your area

All programs and services of the NARC&DC are offered on a non-discriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital or family status, disability, or political beliefs.

March, 2006