Total irrigated acres decreased from 2008 levels by 221,561 acres. During that same time period, total irrigated cropland in the U.S. fell by 1,892,794 acres. Nebraska had the highest total irrigated acreage with 8,270,520 acres, followed by California with 7,130,894 acres.
Texas and California took the biggest hit with irrigated cropland not harvested or grazed, with 99,754 acres and 91,082 acres respectively.
One table of the report lists the methods farms used in deciding when to irrigate. Condition of the crop was used 78 percent of the time; feel of the soil was used 39 percent of the time; soil moisture sensing devices were used 9 percent of the time; and 7 to 8 percent of the time commercial or government scheduling services or evapotranspiration reports were used for decision making. Farms using personal calendar schedules to determine irrigation needs were 21 percent, and 6 percent of the time irrigation practices were based on when the neighbors began to irrigate.
The report indicated the average expenditure per acre for irrigation equipment and facilities in 2013 was $154. Farms in South Carolina reportedly spent the most per acre at $1,120, and farms in Montana spent the least at $60 per acre. Of those farms using off-farm water supplies, the states spending the most per acre were Rhode Island ($819.17), Kentucky ($688.27), Hawaii ($449.56), Massachusetts ($392.28), Maryland ($326.21), Missouri ($310.32), Pennsylvania ($277.47) and Ohio ($229.70). The state spending the least for off-farm water was Oklahoma ($7.47).
The report states wells were used for irrigation in 2013 on 121,491 farms across the U.S. for a total number of irrigation wells at 475,796.
The number of farms irrigated by center pivot systems increased over the previous five years from 114,348 farms to 121,655 farms, while irrigated acres under center pivots increased by over 4 million. During the same time period, farms using linear-move sprinklers increased by 2,134 farms, and acres irrigated under that system increased by 230,186 acres. FG
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