Some Irrigation Organizations Rely on Formal Drought Plans

• Published in: Amber waves 2022-02, Vol.2022, p.1-5
• Main Authors: Wallander, Steven, Hrozencik, Aaron, Aillery, Marcel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural economics; Agricultural research; Aquifers; Censuses; Coordination; Crop Production/Industries; Drought; Economic research; Farmers; Farms; Groundwater; Groundwater management; Irrigation; Irrigation water; Natural disasters; Organizations; Planning; Polls & surveys; Statistics; Water consumption; Water management; Water resources management; Water rights; Water shortages; Water supply; Water use; Water users
• ISSN: 1545-8741; 1545-875X
• DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.320277

Many irrigation organizations develop drought plans that provide guidance to farmers and other water users on how the organizations plan to respond in the event of a drought. USDA's Economic Research Service and National Agricultural Statistics Service jointly produced the Survey of Irrigation Organizations (https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/x920gg177) (SIO) in 2019. The 2019 survey provided the first updated dataset of local water-supply management entities since the 1978 Census of Irrigation Organizations. The SIO provides details on how irrigation organizations plan for and respond to drought. About one-fifth of irrigation organizations have a formal, written drought plan. Drought planning is most common among large delivery organizations that serve more than 10,000 irrigable acres. Large delivery organizations, which collectively served about 80 percent of the acreage that could have received off-farm water in 2019, are likely to have greater staff and financial resources to develop a formal plan. About two-fifths of large organizations have a formal, written drought plan. Drought planning is also common for irrigation organizations that manage groundwater but do not deliver water to farms. Groundwater organizations, as defined in this survey, perform at least one of seven roles, such as monitoring groundwater use or permitting new wells, that directly influence on-farm groundwater use. Formal planning is least common among small delivery organizations serving 1,000 or fewer irrigable acres. One reason smaller organizations are less likely to have a formal plan might be that as more acreage and users are involved, coordination of irrigation water use becomes more complex. However, a formal planning process could provide greater benefits to a wider set of users.