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Farm and RanchIrrigation Survey (2003)
Volume 3, Special StudiesPart 1
AC-02-SS-1
Issued November 2004
U.S. Department of AgricultureAnn M. Veneman, Secretary
Dr. Joseph J. Jen, Under Secretary forResearch, Education, and
Economics
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICER. Ronald Bosecker,
Administrator
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Acknowledgments
This report was prepared under the direction of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA),National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS). Many people participated in the variousactivities
of the 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey and deserve
recognition for theircontributions to the program.
NASS pays special tribute to the farm and ranch operators who
furnished the informationrequested. Their cooperation and support
made it possible to collect and publish the data inthis report.
Economic Research Service (ERS), other USDA agencies, and
representativesfrom State departments of agriculture offered
significant advice during the planning, datacollection, and
processing phases of this survey. They provided invaluable
assistance at thelocal level to farmers and ranchers completing
census report forms. Also, NASSacknowledges our partnership with
the U.S. Department of Commerce, National ProcessingCenter in
Jeffersonville, IN and the services they provided to collect and
capture data.
Members of the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics and
representatives of bothpublic and private organizations made
significant recommendations that helped establish datacontent. NASS
appreciates their strong and consistent support for census
programs.
NASS expresses gratitude to the press, farm magazines, radio and
television stations, farmorganizations, State departments of
agriculture, and enumerators from the NationalAssociation of State
Departments of Agriculture for their help in publicizing the census
andencouraging cooperation of farmers and ranchers.
If you would like to learn more about the statistics available
from NASS or have questionsconcerning this report, visit our Web
site at www.usda.gov/nass/, send e-mail [email protected], or
call the Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 800.727.9540.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs on the basis of race, color,
nationalorigin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs,
sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all
prohibited basesapply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities
who require alternative means for communication of program
information(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director,
Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building,
1400Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call
(202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equalopportunity
provider and employer.
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2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE CONTENTS IIIUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
Contents
PageIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . VGeneral Explanation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .VIII
MAPS
Water Resources Areas of the United States 2003 . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Percent
of Normal Precipitation, January - December 2003 . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
TABLES
1. Irrigated Farms in the Censuses of Agriculture: 2002 and
Earlier Censuses . . . . . . . . . . . 32. Irrigated Farms by Acres
Irrigated: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 43. Land Use on Farms with Irrigation: 2003 and
1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
64. Land Irrigated by Method of Water Distribution: 2003 and 1998 .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85. Land Irrigated by Sprinkler
Systems: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 96. Land Irrigated by Drip, Trickle, or Low-flow Micro
Sprinklers: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . 127. Land Irrigated with
Gravity Flow by Field Water Delivery System: 2003 and 1998 . . . .
. 138. Estimated Quantity of Water Applied Using Only One Method
of
Distribution: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179.
Estimated Quantity of Water Applied Using Only Sprinkler Systems to
Distribute
Water: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1910.
Estimated Quantity of Water Applied Using Only Gravity Flow Systems
to Distribute
Water: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2311.
Estimated Quantity of Water Applied By Source or Supplier: 2003 and
1998 . . . . . . . . . 2512. Irrigation by Estimated Quantity of
Water Applied: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2913. Water Transfers by Use and Source: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3114. Irrigation
Wells on Farms: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3215. Irrigation Wells Used on
Farms: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 3416. Characteristics for Irrigation Wells Used
on Farms: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3617.
Irrigation Pumps on Farms: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3818. Irrigation
Pumps on Farms for Wells: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3919. Irrigation Pumps on Farms Other
Than for Wells: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4120. Energy Expenses for On-Farm Pumping of Irrigation Water by
Water Source and
Type of Energy: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4521. Pumps
Powered by Solar and Other Renewable Energy Sources: 2003 and 1998
. . . . . . . 5122. Expenses for Irrigation Water from Off-Farm
Suppliers: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5223. Investment
in Irrigation Equipment, Facilities, Land Improvement, and
Computer
Technology: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5324.
Expenses for Maintenance and Repairs of Irrigation Equipment
and
Facilities: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
65
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IV CONTENTS 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
25. Expenses for Hired and Contract Irrigation Labor: 2003 and
1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6626. Farms with
Diminished Crop Yields Resulting from Irrigation Interruption
by Cause: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6727.
Crops Harvested From Irrigated Farms: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6928. Estimated Quantity of
Water Applied and Method of Distribution by Selected
Crops Harvested: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9029.
Selected Crops Harvested by Chemigation and Water Source: 2003 and
1998 . . . . . . . . . 11530. Selected Crops Irrigated and
Harvested by Primary Method of Water Distribution
by Crop, United States: 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13931.
Other Uses of Irrigation Water: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14432. Irrigated Farms
by Size of Farm: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14633. Irrigated Farms by North
American Industry Classification System: 2003 and 1998 . . . .
14934. Irrigated Farms by Market Value of Agricultural Products
Sold: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . 15135. Irrigated Farms by Percent
of Total Sales from Irrigated Crops and
Livestock: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15936.
Methods Used in Deciding When to Irrigate: 2003 and 1998 . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16037. Water Management Practices
used by Operators with Gravity Flow
Systems: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16138.
Irrigators Participating in Government Programs: 2003 and 1998 . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16439. Energy and Water
Conservation Improvements: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 16540. Barriers to Making Improvements to Reduce
Energy Use or Conserve
Water: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16841.
Source of Irrigation Information Relied on to Reduce Irrigation
Costs or to
Conserve Water: 2003 and 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17242.
Discontinuance of All Irrigation by Reason: 2003 and 1998 . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
APPENDIX
Report Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . A-2Instruction Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . A-14
Publication Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside back
cover
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2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE INTRODUCTION VUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
Introduction
PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE SURVEY
The 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey providesdata that
supplement the basic irrigation data collectedfrom all farm and
ranch operators in the 2002 Censusof Agriculture. Irrigation data
from this surveycombined with 2002 census data provide one of
themost complete and detailed profiles of irrigation in theUnited
States.
The 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation survey collecteddetailed data
for on-farm irrigation practices in 2003.These data include acres
irrigated by category of landuse, acres and yields of irrigated and
nonirrigatedcrops, quantity of water applied and method
ofapplication to selected crops, acres irrigated by type ofwater
distribution system, and number of irrigationwells and pumps. Also,
included are data for irrigationexpenditures in 2003 for
maintenance and repair ofirrigation equipment and facilities;
purchase of energyfor on-farm pumping of irrigation water;
investment inirrigation equipment, facilities, and land
improvement;and cost of water received from off-farm
watersuppliers.
The 25,014 operations sampled for the 2003 surveywere selected
from farms and ranches reportingirrigated acres in the 2002 census,
including AmericanIndian reservations. Farms that reported
horticulturalcrop sales of at least $10,000 and all
institutional,research, and experimental farms were excluded
fromthe survey. Therefore, 23,767 irrigation operationswere
excluded from the sample. Most of the irrigatedfarms (23,116)
excluded were horticultural specialtyfarms which accounted for
1,011,012 acres irrigated, or2 percent of the land irrigated in
2002. In the 2002census, 806 institutional, research, and
experimentalfarms accounted for 125,535 acres irrigated, or
lessthan 1 percent of all acres irrigated in the nation.
Some changes occurred between the 2002 Census ofAgriculture and
the 2003 Farm and Ranch IrrigationSurvey. Between 2002 to 2003,
16,088 farms irrigating2.9 million acres in 2002 ceased operation
under thename identifying them in the 2002 census. In
addition,results of the 2003 survey show 32,489
irrigationoperations reporting irrigation on 1.85 million acres
in2002 did not irrigate in 2003. No attempt was made toidentify and
select new irrigation operations for 2003.
HISTORY
Selected irrigation data for on-farm irrigationoperations have
been collected in the census ofagriculture since 1890. A census of
farms whichreported irrigation in the 1900 Census of Agriculturewas
authorized by Congress. Surveys of irrigation inhumid areas were
taken in connection with the 1954and 1959 censuses.
The 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey is thesixth survey
devoted entirely to collecting on-farmirrigation data for the
United States. The 1979, 1984,1988, and 1994 Farm and Ranch
Irrigation Surveyswere conducted by the U.S. Department of
Commerce,Bureau of Census. Responsibility for the survey
wastransferred from the Bureau of Census to the U.S.Department of
Agriculture (USDA), NationalAgricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
in 1997. The1998 survey utilized the resources of the 45 NASSState
Statistical Offices (SSO) which expandedopportunities for telephone
follow-up or personalenumeration of nonresponse cases. The 1998
Farmand Ranch Irrigation Survey was the first survey tocollect and
publish data for each of the 50 States.Previous farm and ranch
irrigation surveys publisheddata only for leading irrigation
States, with a U.S. total,excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
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VI INTRODUCTION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
AUTHORITY
The census of agriculture is required by law under the“Census of
Agriculture Act of 1997", Public Law 105-113 (Title 7, United
States Code, Section 2204g). Thelaw authorizes the Secretary of
Agriculture to conductsurveys deemed necessary to furnish annual or
otherdata on the subjects covered by the census. The 2003Farm and
Ranch Irrigation Survey was conductedunder the provisions of this
section.
FARM DEFINITION
The census definition of a farm is any place fromwhich $1,000 or
more of agricultural products wereproduced and sold, or normally
would have been sold,during the census year. The definition has
changednine times since it was established in 1850. Thecurrent
definition was first used for the 1974 Census ofAgriculture and has
been used in each subsequentagriculture census and related surveys.
This definitionis consistent with the definition used for current
USDAsurveys.
WATER RESOURCES AREAS MAP
The map on page 1 shows Water Resources Areasdelineated on the
basis of county boundaries thatapproximate actual basin boundaries
based ontopographic drainage characteristics. Data aretabulated
separately for each of the 20 water resourcesareas shown on the
map.
PERCENT OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION MAP
The map on page 2 shows the areas of the UnitedStates with
deviations from normal precipitationduring 2003. The map is
included for referencepurposes only.
TABLES AND APPENDIX
Table 1 shows farms and acres irrigated for the 1982through 2002
censuses for each State. Tables 2through 41 present detailed
irrigation operation datacollected in the survey from irrigation
operations thatreported irrigated land in the 2002 census and
alsoirrigated in 2003. Table 42 presents data for farmoperations
that irrigated in 2002, but discontinued
irrigation either temporarily or permanently in 2003while
continuing to operate a farm or ranch. Data fromthe 2003 survey are
reported for each State and for the20 Water Resources Areas.
Additional text tables areshown in the General Explanation. The
appendixprovides facsimiles of the report form used to collectthe
data.
RESPONDENT CONFIDENTIALITY
In keeping with the provisions of Title 7 of the UnitedStates
Code, no data are published that would discloseinformation about
the operations of an individual farmor ranch. All tabulated data
are subjected to anextensive disclosure review prior to
publication. Anytabulated item that identifies data reported by
arespondent or allows a respondent’s data to beaccurately estimated
or derived, was suppressed andcoded with a ‘D’. However, the number
of farmsreporting an item is not considered confidentialinformation
and is provided even though otherinformation is withheld.
DATA PRODUCTS
The 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey data, aswell as the
2002 Census of Agriculture Volume 1Geographic Area Series and
related reports, areavailable on the Internet at www.usda.gov/nass
and inprinted reports. Printed reports can be ordered bycalling
1-800-727-9540.
CUSTOM TABULATIONS
Special studies such as the 2003 Farm and RanchIrrigation Survey
and 2005 Census of Aquaculture arepart of the census program and
provide supplementalinformation to the 2002 Census of Agriculture
in therespective subject area. Results are published in printand on
the internet.
Custom-designed tabulations may be developed whendata are not
published elsewhere. These tabulationsare developed to individual
user specifications on acost-reimbursable basis and shared with the
public.The census Volume 1 on CD-ROM is an alternativedata source
that should be investigated beforerequesting a custom
tabulation.
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2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE INTRODUCTION VIIUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
All special studies and custom tabulations are subjectto a
thorough disclosure review prior to release toprevent the
disclosure of any individual respondentdata. Requests for custom
tabulations can besubmitted via the internet from the NASS home
page,by mail, or by e-mail to:
Associate AdministratorNational Agricultural Statistics
Service1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250
orHQ [email protected]
DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
Definitions and explanations of selected terms used inthe tables
are defined in the General Explanation.
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
The following abbreviations and symbols are usedthroughout the
tables:
- Represents zero.
cwt Hundredweight.
(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data forindividual farms.
gpm Gallons per minute.
(NA) Not available.
psi Pounds per square inch.
WRA Water Resources Areas.
(X) Not applicable.
(Z) Less than half of the unit shown.
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VIII GENERAL EXPLANATION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA,
National Agricultural Statistics Service
General Explanation
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Planning for the survey started in 1999 with a reviewof the
previous farm and ranch irrigation survey.Letters were sent to more
than 200 individuals inwater-related government organizations,
industry, andacademic positions to solicit their comments on
reportform content and table format. Presentations weremade to
several associations seeking their comments.Sixty responses were
received. All responses werereviewed and categorized to evaluate
data collectionfeasibility and priority needs.
METHOD OF ENUMERATION AND DATACOLLECTION
The 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey wasconducted primarily
by mail and was supplemented bytelephone calls and personal
enumeration by NASSState Statistical Office (SSO) staff and
enumerators.A sample of 25,014 irrigators was selected and maileda
report form in January 2004. This was a 6 percentincrease over the
1998 sample size and was designedto enhance data quality for the
2003 survey. The initialmail packet included a report form and
letterrequesting a prompt response. The operators wereasked to
complete and return the report form. Theinitial mailing was
followed by one follow-up mailingto those who had not responded in
the first 4 weeks.The follow-up packet included a reminder letter
and areport form. Six weeks after the initial mailing, theSSOs were
provided nonresponse lists. SSOs madetelephone calls and personal
visits to maximize theresponse. For a description of the adjustment
fornonresponse, see Statistical Methodology.
DATA PROCESSING
All report forms were reviewed by NASS staff prior todata keying
to identify inconsistencies and ensure that
the data could be keyed. Major inconsistencies,respondent
remarks, blank forms, and large irrigationcases were reviewed by
analysts and adjusted prior todata keying as needed. All forms with
data werescanned and keyed from image. Data from each reportform
were processed through a computer edit whichflagged inconsistent
entries. Each flagged entry wasreviewed manually. During the edit
process, animputation program supplied missing data and
madeadjustments based on responses of similarly sizedfarms within
the same geographic area. Data entries oflarge magnitude and data
items that were changedsignificantly in the computer edit process
werereviewed and verified by analysts.
Prior to publication, tabulated totals were reviewed toidentify
and resolve remaining inconsistencies andpotential coverage
problems. Comparisons were madeto 2002 census data and other
available check data.
DATA COMPARABILITY
The 2002 Census of Agriculture introduced newmethodology to
account for all farms in the UnitedStates. All 2002 published
census items werereweighted for incompleteness in the mail list.
Thisadjustment for undercoverage was also used for the2003 Farm and
Ranch Irrigation Survey. To providecomparable data, 1998 data
published in 2003 werealso reweighted for undercoveraage. An
explanation ofthe methodology is included in the 2002 Census
ofAgriculture Volume 1, Appendix C.
Differences exist between the expanded results of the2003 Farm
and Ranch Irrigation Survey and publisheddata from the 2002 Census
of Agriculture. Some ofthese are as follows:
1. The survey excludes horticultural specialty farmsand
institutional, research, and experimental
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2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL EXPLANATION IXUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
farms. The effect of these exclusions is listed inthe following
table:
Irrigated Acres farms irrigated
2002 U.S. totals . . 299,583 55,311,236
Excluded from survey . . . . . . 23,767 1,136,547
Eligible for selection in survey . . . . . . . . . 275,816
54,174,689
2. The survey includes data only for operators whoirrigated in
both 2002 and 2003. Operators insome areas, especially the Eastern
States, irrigateintermittently according to moisture
needs.Operators having irrigation capabilities may notirrigate
depending on the amount of rainfall for aparticular year or
geographic area. The number ofoperators who irrigated in 2002 but
discontinuedirrigation in 2003 is tabulated in Table 42 byreason of
discontinuance.
3. Some operators reported that they had beenmisclassified as
irrigators and did not irrigate ineither 2002 or 2003. An estimated
22,719operators with 948,400 acres irrigated in 2002
weremisclassified as irrigators in the 2002 census. Thisis
estimated by expanding reports in the surveywhere the respondents
reported that they did notirrigate in 2003 or 2002. In addition to
errors inprocessing data, some operators misreported
ormisinterpreted the questions. Most of the operatorsmisreporting
irrigation in the 2002 census reportedirrigation of small acreages
of vegetables, fruitsand nuts, tobacco, potatoes, or berries.
Smallamounts of water were applied to these crops at thetime of
transplanting.
4. Some respondents indicated they had quit farming,retired,
moved, gone bankrupt, etc., since 2002.After analytical review of
the 2003 receipts, anestimated 16,088 operators accounting
for2,941,413 acres irrigated in 2002 after expansion,were dropped
from processing because they wereno longer farming. Special care
was taken withlarge operations to ensure that they were
noterroneously dropped due to reorganization or name
change rather than discontinuing agriculturaloperations. This
included the use of field andtelephone enumeration.
5. New irrigators in 2003 (not included in the 2002census) did
not have a chance of being selected inthe sample and, therefore,
were excluded from thesurvey. It is believed that the impact of
newirrigators is probably minimal. This conclusion issupported by
comparisons between the 1997 and2002 censuses which show little
change in acres ofirrigated cropland harvested.
6. For the 2002 census and the 2003 Farm and RanchIrrigation
Survey, farms were classified by type ofactivity or activities
according to the NorthAmerican Industry Classification System
(NAICS).Table 33 provides irrigation data for farmsclassified by
NAICS.
Table A. Farms with Irrigation by Acres Irrigated:2003 Survey
Compared with 2002 Census
Item
2002 Censusof Agriculture
2003 Farm and RanchIrrigation Survey
U. S.totals
U.S. totals(expanded)
Percentof 2002censustotals
Acres irrigated ........farms 299,583 220,163 73.5........ acres
55,311,236 52,583,431 95.0
1 to 49 acres .......... farms 183,120 116,256 63.5........
acres 2,032,251 1,658,408 81.6
50 to 99 acres ........farms 27,094 22,288 82.3........ acres
1,878,687 1,551,154 82.6
100 to 199 acres .....farms 28,011 24,657 88.0........ acres
3,851,651 3,454,895 89.7
200 to 499 acres ....farms 31,449 28,032 89.1........ acres
9,883,105 8,922,430 90.3
500 to 999 acres .....farms 17,329 16,771 96.8........ acres
12,001,034 11,827,596 98.6
1,000 acres or more farms 12,580 12,159 96.7........ acres
25,664,508 25,168,948 98.1
When comparing the number of farms and irrigatedacres between
the 2003 survey and the 2002 censuspublished U.S. totals, most of
the differences are foroperators reporting less than 100 acres
irrigated. Thisis expected since the excluded horticultural
farmsaverage 48 acres irrigated per farm and the othercategories of
discontinued or excluded irrigators
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X GENERAL EXPLANATION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
generally are smaller than average irrigators. Table Ashows
acres irrigated in the 2003 survey (expanded)compared with U.S.
totals from the 2002 census. Theexpanded survey accounts for 95
percent of all landreported as irrigated in the 2002 census and
allirrigation characteristics associated with that land.
DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS
This section provides definitions and explanations ofselected
items that are used on the report form or in thetables. A facsimile
of the 2003 Farm and RanchIrrigation Survey report form is in the
appendix.
Water Resources Areas (WRA)
Data from the 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Surveywere
tabulated by WRA. Boundaries of these areas areshown on the map on
page I. These boundaries areessentially the same as the water
resources regions(WRR) delineated and defined in the past by the
U.S.Water Resources Council. The areas differ somewhatfrom the
regions because of the method used forboundary delineation. Region
boundaries aredelineated on the basis of topographic
drainagecharacteristics, whereas areas are delineated on thebasis
of county boundaries which approximate actualdrainage-basin
boundaries. Geographic descriptions ofeach water resources region
that were used toapproximate the area included in each water
resourcesarea are as follows:
01 New England Region - The drainage within theUnited States
that ultimately discharges into the Bay ofFundy and the Atlantic
Ocean. These points ofdischarge are located within and between
Maine andConnecticut; Long Island Sound and the St. FrancisRiver, a
tributary of the St. Lawrence River.
02 Middle Atlantic Region - The drainage within theUnited States
that ultimately discharges into theAtlantic Ocean, whose point of
discharge is locatedwithin and between New York and Virginia, and
theRichelieu River, a tributary of the St. Lawrence River.
03 South Atlantic-Gulf Region - The drainage thatultimately
discharges into the Atlantic Ocean, whosepoint of discharge is
located within and between NorthCarolina and Florida; and the Gulf
of Mexico, whose
point of discharge is located within and betweenFlorida and
Mississippi, including the Pearl River.
04 Great Lakes Region - The drainage within theUnited States
that discharges into the Great Lakessystem, including the Lakes’
surfaces; and the St.Lawrence River as far east as, but excluding
theRichelieu River.
05 Ohio Region - The drainage of the Ohio River,excluding that
of the Tennessee River.
06 Tennessee Region - The drainage of the TennesseeRiver.
07 Upper Mississippi Region - The drainage of theMississippi
River above the mouth of the Ohio River,excluding drainage of the
Missouri River above a pointimmediately below the mouth of the
Gasconade River.
08 Lower Mississippi River - The drainage of theMississippi
River below the mouth of the Ohio River,but excluding the drainage
of the Arkansas, White, andRed Rivers and above the points of
highest backwateraffects of the Mississippi River in those parts;
and thecoastal streams, other than the Mississippi River,
thatdischarge into the Gulf of Mexico from the boundariesof, but
excluding the Pearl and Sabine Rivers.
09 Souris-Red-Rainy Region - The drainage within theUnited
States of the Souris, Red, and Rainy Rivers.
10 Missouri Region - The drainage within the UnitedStates of the
Missouri River above a point immediatelybelow the mouth of the
Gasconade River and theSaskatchewan River.
11 Arkansas-White-Red Region - The drainage of theArkansas River
above the point of highest backwateraffect of the Mississippi
River, the Red River abovethe point of highest backwater affect of
the MississippiRiver, and the White River above the point of
highestbackwater affect of the Mississippi River near PeachOrchard
Bluff, AR.
12 Texas-Gulf Region - The drainage that dischargesinto the Gulf
of Mexico from and including SabinePass to, but excluding the Rio
Grande and the LowerRio Grande Valley.
-
2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL EXPLANATION XIUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
13 Rio Grande Region - The drainage within theUnited States of
the Rio Grande; the San Luis Valley,North Plains, San Augustine
Plains, Mimbres, EstanciaJonado del Muerto, Tularosa, Salt, and
various smallerclosed basins; and the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
14 Upper Colorado Region - The drainage of theColorado River
above the Lee Ferry Compact Point,which is about 1 mile below the
mouth of the PariaRiver; and the Great Divide closed basin.
15 Lower Colorado Region - The drainage within theUnited States
of the Colorado River below the LeeFerry Compact Point, which is
about 1 mile below themouth of the Paria River; the Rios Yaqui,
Magdelena,Sonoita, and other lesser streams that ultimatlydischarge
into the Gulf of California; and the AnimasValley, Wilcox Playa, El
Dorado Valley, and othersmaller closed basins.
16 Great Basin Region - The drainage of the GreatBasin that
ultimately discharges into Utah and Nevada.
17 Pacific-Northwest Region - The drainage within theUnited
States that ultimately discharges into the Straitsof Georgia and
Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean.The point of discharge is within
Washington andOregon, including the Columbia river.
18 California Region - The drainage within the UnitedStates that
ultimately discharges into the PacificOcean, whose point of
discharge is within California,which includes the Central Valley;
and that portion ofthe Great Basin and other closed basins in
California.
19 Alaska - entire State.
20 Hawaii - entire State.
Acre-Feet of Water - An acre-foot of water is thequantity of
water required to cover 1 acre to a depth of1 foot. This is
equivalent to 43,560 cubic feet or325,851 gallons.
Acres and quantity harvested - If two or more cropswere
harvested from the same land during the year, theacres were counted
for each crop. Therefore, the totalacres of all crops harvested
generally exceeds the acresof harvested cropland. Exceptions to
this procedure
are hay crops. When more than one cutting of hay wastaken from
the same acres, the acres were counted onlyonce, but the quantity
harvested included hay from allcuttings.
For interplanted crops or ‘‘skip-row’’ crops, acres werereported
according to the portion of the field occupiedby each crop. If a
crop was interplanted in an orchardor vineyard and harvested, then
the entire orchard orvineyard acreage was reported under the
appropriatefruit crop and the interplanted estimated crop
acreagewas reported under the appropriate crop.
Acres of land in bearing and nonbearing orchards,citrus or other
groves, vineyards, and nut trees werereported as harvested cropland
regardless of whetherthe crop was harvested or failed. Abandoned
orchardswere reported as cropland idle, not harvested cropland.
Acres irrigated - Acres irrigated are the acres ofagricultural
land to which water was artificially appliedby controlled means
including preplanted, partial,supplemental, and semi-irrigation.
Land floodedduring high water periods was to be included
asirrigated only if the water was diverted to agriculturalland by
dams, canals, or other works.
All other land - This category includes land in houselots, barn
lots, ponds, roads, ditches, wasteland, etc. Itincludes those acres
in the farm operation not classifiedas cropland, pastureland, or
woodland.
Average operating pressure - This is the pressure atthe well
head.
Average pumping capacity - This category includesthe gallons per
minute discharged from wells.
Chemigation - This is the process of applyingpesticides,
fertilizers, other chemicals, or animal wastethrough agricultural
irrigation water.
Cropland harvested - This category includes landfrom which crops
were harvested and hay was cut, andland used to grow short-rotation
woody crops, land inorchards, citrus groves, Christmas trees,
vineyards,nurseries, and greenhouses. Land from which two ormore
crops were harvested was counted only once.Land in tapped maple
trees was included in woodland
-
XII GENERAL EXPLANATION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
not pastured. The 1997 census definition for harvestedcropland
was the same as the 2002 definition. Short-rotation woody crops
were not explicitly referenced inthe 1997 census definition, but
were included as“Other nursery and greenhouse crops.”
Cropland used only for pasture or grazing - This island used
only for pasture or grazing that could havebeen used for crops
without additional improvement.Also included are acres of crops
hogged or grazed butnot harvested prior to grazing. However,
cropland thatwas pastured before or after crops were harvested
wasto be included as harvested cropland rather thancropland for
pasture or grazing.
Crops unit of measurement - Respondents wereinstructed to report
crops in the units published.
Flowing or artesian wells - Flowing or artesian wellsare wells
which flow freely and provide water used forirrigation without
pumping. All flowing or artesianwells were excluded from pumping
data on Tables 14and 15. This should be taken into consideration
whenusing data from these two tables. The 1998 survey wasthe first
time the question was a respondent-reporteditem. Past surveys
subtracted the reported number ofpumped wells from the reported
total wells used toderive the number of artesian wells.
Institutional, research, experimental, and AmericanIndian
reservation farms - Institutional, research,and experimental farms
were previously calledabnormal farms. In the 2002 census, these
farms werecombined with Indian Reservation farms into onecategory.
However, in the 2003 survey AmericanIndian Reservations are
included while the others areexcluded. Research farms include farms
operated byprivate companies as well as those operated
byuniversities, colleges, and government organizationsfor the
purpose of expanding agricultural knowledge.
Irrigated farms - Irrigated farms or ranches are thosewith any
agricultural land irrigated by any artificial orcontrolled means in
the specific calendar year. Theacreage irrigated may vary from a
very small portion ofthe total acreage in the farm or ranch to
irrigation of allagricultural land in the farm or ranch.
Livestocklagoon waste water distributed by sprinkler or
floodsystems was also included.
Land in farms - The acreage designated as ‘‘land infarms’’
consists primarily of agricultural land used forcrops, pasture, or
grazing. It also includes woodlandand wasteland not actually under
cultivation or usedfor pasture or grazing, provided it was part of
the farmoperator’s total operation. Large acreages of woodlandor
wasteland held for nonagricultural purposes weredeleted from
individual reports during the edit process.Land in farms includes
acres in the ConservationReserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs.
Land in farms is an operating unit concept and includesland
owned and operated as well as land rented fromothers. Land used
rent free was reported as land rentedfrom others. All grazing land,
except land used undergovernment permits on a per-head basis, was
includedas ‘‘land in farms’’ provided it was part of a farm
orranch. Land under the exclusive use of a grazingassociation was
reported by the grazing association andincluded as land in farms.
All land in American Indianreservations used for growing crops or
grazinglivestock was included as land in farms. Land inreservations
not reported by individual AmericanIndians or non-Native Americans
was reported in thename of the cooperative group that used the
land. Inmany instances, an entire American Indian reservationwas
reported as one farm.
Market value of agricultural products sold - Themarket value of
agricultural products sold representsthe gross market value before
taxes and productionexpenses of all agricultural products sold or
removedfrom the place in 2003 regardless of who received
thepayment. It is equivalent to total sales. It includessales by
the operator as well as the value of any sharesreceived by
partners, landlords, contractors, or othersassociated with the
operation. The market value ofagricultural products sold represents
the sum of allcrops, including nursery products, and livestock
andpoultry and their products. It does not include incomefrom
farm-related sources, such as custom work oragricultural services,
or income from nonfarm sources.
The 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey is the firsttime sales
data from the survey year has been collected.In the previous
surveys, these data were taken from theprevious census report forms
of the irrigation surveyrespondents. Therefore, the market value of
sales didnot always match up to the commodities reported in the
-
2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL EXPLANATION XIIIUSDA,
National Agricultural Statistics Service
survey due to differing yields and prices and operationchanges
from year to year.
North American Industry Classification System -Beginning with
the 1997 Census of Agriculture and the1998 Farm and Ranch
Irrigation Survey, farms wereclassified by type of activity
according to the NorthAmerican Industry Classification System,
(NAICS).Prior to 1997, the Standard Industrial ClassificationSystem
(SIC) was used. An establishment primarilyengaged in crop
production (major group 111) orproduction of livestock and animal
specialties (majorgroup 112) is classified in the four-digit
industry andthree-digit industry group which accounts for 50percent
or more of the total value of sales of itsagricultural products. If
the total value of sales ofagricultural products of an
establishment is less than50 percent from a single four-digit
industry, but 50percent or more from the products of two or more
four-digit industries within the same three-digit industrygroup,
the establishment is classified in themiscellaneous industry of
that industry group.Otherwise, it is classified as “All Other Crop
Farming”in industry 11199 or a general livestock farm inindustry
11299.
Classifications of irrigated farms by selected NAICSgroupings
are shown in Table 33. The NAICS codesfor the 2003 survey
respondents were determined fromtheir 2002 census report.
Off-farm water supply - Off-farm water supply iswater from
off-farm water suppliers, such as the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation;
irrigation districts; mutual,private, cooperative, or neighborhood
ditches;commercial companies; or community water systems.
On-farm surface supply - On-farm surface supply iswater from a
surface source not controlled by a watersupply organization. It
includes sources such asstreams, drainage ditches, lakes, ponds,
and reservoirson or adjacent to the operated land.
Other cropland - Other cropland includes croplandnot harvested
and not grazed which was used for covercrops or soil-improvement
crops, land on which allcrops failed, land in cultivated summer
fallow, idlecropland, and land planted in crops that were to
beharvested after the survey year.
Other pastureland and rangeland - This land usecategory is very
inclusive and encompasses all grazableland that does not qualify as
cropland pasture. It maybe irrigated or dry land. In some areas, it
can be a highquality pasture that could not be cropped
withoutimprovements. In other areas, it is barely able to begrazed
and is only marginally better than wasteland.
Sprinkler systems - Sprinkler irrigation is dividedinto four
areas to reflect current trends in irrigation.The center pivot and
mechanical-move methods have,by definition, high-pressure delivery
with waterdelivered at 60 psi or more, medium pressure deliverywith
water delivered at 30 to 59 psi, and low pressuredelivery with
water delivered at less than 30 psi. Themechanical-move systems are
classified as either linearmove, side roll, wheel move, or big gun
where thesprinkler device is moved across the field either
byself-propelled methods or by tractor. Since all big gunsoperate
at high pressure, pressure was not asked.
Hand move systems include distribution systems laidout in the
spring and removed at the end of the season,as well as other
sprinkler systems which are movedwithout mechanical assistance.
Solid set andpermanent systems are sprinklers placed in the
groundpermanently and used mostly for perennial crops.
Total cropland - This category includes croplandharvested,
cropland used only for pasture or grazing,cropland idle or used for
cover crops or soilimprovement but not harvested and not pastured
orgrazed, cropland on which all crops failed or wereabandoned, and
cropland in cultivated summer fallow.
Woodland - Woodland includes natural or plantedwoodlots or
timber tracts, cutover and deforested landwith young growth which
has or will have value forwood products and woodland pastured. Land
coveredby sagebrush or mesquite was reported as otherpastureland
and rangeland or other land. Land plantedfor Christmas tree
production and short rotation woodycrops was reported in cropland
harvested and land intapped maple trees was reported as woodland
notpastured.
-
XIV GENERAL EXPLANATION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY
Target Population
The target population for the survey was composed ofall farms
irrigating in the reference year 2003,excluding horticultural
specialty farms andinstitutional, research, or experimental farms.
Toobtain measurement for this target population, theframe
population was constructed to include all farmsthat reported
irrigated acres in the 2002 Census ofAgriculture except for farms
that reported horticulturalcrop sales of at least $10,000 and all
institutional,research, and experimental farms. The farms in
theexcluded categories represented 11 percent of the totalnumber of
irrigators and 2 percent of the irrigated landreported in the 2002
census.
Undercoverage existed in the frame population to theextent that
there were farms that either erroneouslyreported not irrigating in
the 2002 census, startedirrigating in 2003, or had succeeding
irrigators in 2003(i.e., an operator who, since 2002, took over
control ofan irrigating farm through sales, rental, or
otherarrangements). Overcoverage existed in the framebecause some
operations were misclassified asirrigators and did not irrigate in
2002 or had eitherstopped farming or irrigating in 2003. Farms in
thesegroups that were selected into the sample wereidentified
during the survey and estimates of theirnumber and acres irrigated
are provided. Table Bprovides the farm count and acres irrigated by
State forboth the survey frame population and the 2002 census.
Sample Design
Sampling frames were created at the State level andconsisted of
the farm operations reported in that Statein the 2002 census that
satisfied the frame definitionstated above. The survey estimates
were based on aprobability sample of farms from each State
frame.The sample design consisted of a stratified systematicsample
selected independently from each of the 50State frames. All farms
in a sampling frame werestratified on the basis of total irrigated
acres reported inthe 2002 census. The stratification boundaries
variedamong the States and were dependent on thedistribution of
total acres irrigated variable within theState. A certainty
stratum, whose farms were selected
with probability one, was included in each State so thatthe
major irrigators in each State were included.
The State sample sizes necessary to obtain the desiredlevel of
precision were determined by analyzing thevariation of the total
acres irrigated variable in eachState’s sampling frame. These
sample sizes wereadjusted using historical nonresponse data to
thesurvey. The total national sample size was 25,014farms; 1,823 of
these farms were selected from thecertainty strata and the
remaining 23,191 farms weresystematically selected from the
noncertainty strata.Table B provides the State sample sizes.
Survey Error
The statistics in this report are estimates derived froma sample
survey. There are two types of errors possiblein an estimate-based
sample survey: sampling andnonsampling. Sampling error is the error
caused byobserving only a sample instead of the entirepopulation.
The sampling error is subject to sample-to-sample variation.
Nonsampling errors include allother errors and can arise from many
different sources.These sources may include respondent or
enumeratorerror or incorrect data keying, editing, or imputing
formissing data. Nonsampling error due to mail listincompleteness
and duplication, as well asmisclassification of records on the mail
list, is referredto as coverage error.
Measures of Precision
The survey sample was one of a large number ofpossible samples
of the same size that could have beenselected using the same sample
design. Surveyestimates derived from the different samples will
differfrom each other.
The relative standard error is used as an indicator ofthe
precision in the survey estimates and is reported formajor survey
items in Table C. The relative standarderror expresses the standard
error of an estimate as apercent of the estimated value. The
standard error ofa survey estimate is a measure of the variation
amongthe estimates from all possible samples. It is a measureof the
precision with which an estimate from aparticular sample
approximates the average result of allpossible samples.
-
2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL EXPLANATION XVUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
Table B. Irrigated Farms: 2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey
and the 2002 Census of Agriculture
Geographic area
2003 Survey 2002 Census
Initial mailout countsFinal reports processed and tabulated
Published totals Sample universe 1Unexpanded 2 Expanded 3
Farms 2002 acres Farms Acres irrigated Farms Acres irrigated
Farms Acres irrigated Farms Acres irrigated
United States
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCalifornia
ColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgia
HawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowa
KansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMaryland
MassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouri
MontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew Jersey
New MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhio
OklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth Carolina
South DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermont
VirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
25,014
50945
505823
1,202
591104207672783
402773569580462
616647919105305
125584659791791
647585404129383
579404495352314
568771470
56285
409411
1,054591
97
414733
83513498
20,963,602
68,9862,278
676,3851,282,4552,668,447
692,9263,257
83,1941,174,105
499,744
56,0221,242,864
279,261228,105122,167
876,80719,689
666,87615,91061,501
9,611298,638331,676
1,064,232740,514
575,696774,332487,946
68951,162
501,62245,914
115,094162,327
19,086
351,478793,879
19,383612
61,627
204,24338,198
1,365,569351,200
724
49,728818,305
1,039310,106697,994
17,310
26432
328584862
44981
140411559
279575484416305
434457625
84197
109405447469591
495457299
96253
417203270257205
391569283
35158
316215698495
62
228506
55409351
15,358,202
32,7782,013
513,907963,372
1,931,009
483,1831,428
46,321972,930307,172
69,5531,003,451
254,915160,319
89,159
623,08511,860
453,14313,07834,415
7,282231,642254,765768,247580,131
478,008630,357341,918
42530,041
359,75016,16626,948
129,4619,393
273,820591,991
7,621497
31,985
149,25026,109
880,953267,931
326
14,622617,101
507285,661378,203
220,163
57873
2,7774,834
46,841
11,567234213
8,3352,847
1,21414,303
1,1951,193
709
4,878943
2,280507509
8422,3661,6391,5671,966
8,62516,278
1,722161807
6,7411,2842,281
541670
1,81914,205
1,58958
951
1,444759
15,44110,070
204
90512,862
1001,4144,822
52,583,431
52,7222,252
836,5873,944,8678,471,936
2,562,3292,213
69,0881,497,653
710,893
78,5383,126,857
374,919276,294134,164
2,543,95020,685
838,71718,16353,734
16,151432,665434,500
1,169,7931,020,728
2,131,9557,516,171
639,310818
46,679
769,78748,545
101,055207,772
14,476
508,8421,731,660
19,633648
52,046
390,40634,429
4,947,7451,082,213
825
33,6351,806,782
801391,763
1,415,037
299,583
1,698150
4,1725,847
55,596
13,623801439
13,4565,369
2,23115,901
2,0312,212
976
5,9153,6063,4961,0311,265
1,5804,4132,4332,2353,304
10,15017,970
1,981451
2,124
8,2823,3076,721
6592,623
2,94217,776
4,108264
1,918
1,7552,592
21,16411,587
508
3,33115,534
4082,4575,191
55,311,236
108,7832,742
931,7354,149,7668,709,353
2,590,65410,13997,167
1,815,174870,810
69,1943,288,522
390,843313,130142,109
2,678,27736,751
938,84119,70380,828
23,720456,278454,850
1,175,5301,032,973
1,976,1117,625,170
746,6532,292
96,893
844,79974,663
264,057202,817
40,685
517,5531,907,627
42,5163,963
95,642
401,08361,217
5,074,6381,091,011
2,335
98,9131,823,155
1,981385,902
1,541,688
203,123
94084
2,3774,957
37,803
10,346276300
7,4853,415
1,40611,976
1,2211,464
756
5,3812,4152,243
490708
8162,5881,6471,6622,083
8,40914,450
1,539214967
5,4991,6294,127
520932
2,10411,641
1,92898
1,122
1,3011,043
14,0388,950
175
2,0279,780
1851,4054,201
49,031,141
74,2202,353
849,3543,903,2717,551,425
2,311,6383,764
87,1091,485,803
754,538
58,3523,145,799
336,963287,687128,731
2,623,54430,334
803,24716,84665,597
17,021377,628396,265
1,153,086883,096
1,807,5486,650,859
608,589871
56,130
745,85162,723
220,792175,369
21,128
434,2171,604,468
26,046719
70,523
312,64739,602
4,509,969966,653
887
74,4021,523,908
1,248344,976
1,423,345 1 Excludes institutional, research, and experimental
farms and horticultural specialty farms. 2 Includes 2,361 farms
that discontinued irrigation since 2002. 3 Includes 32,489 farms
that discontinued irrigation since 2002.
-
XVI GENERAL EXPLANATION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
Table C. Relative Standard Error (percent) for Selected
Irrigation Data: 2003[Excludes abnormal and horticultural specialty
farms. For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory
text]
Geographic area IrrigatedfarmsLand infarms
Acres irrigatedAcre-feetof waterapplied,
all sources
Wellsused
in 2003
Pumps,all types
Expenses for irrigation
Total Croplandharvested
Bysprinklersystems
Bygravity
flow
Energyused forpumping
For wells,pumps,
equipment,and facilities
Maintenanceand
repair
United States
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCalifornia
ColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgia
HawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowa
KansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMaryland
MassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouri
MontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew Jersey
New MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhio
OklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth Carolina
South DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermont
VirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Water Resources Areas
WRA 01 New EnglandWRA 02 Mid-AtlanticWRA 03 South
Atlantic-GulfWRA 04 Great LakesWRA 05 Ohio
WRA 06 TennesseeWRA 07 Upper MississippiWRA 08 Lower
MississippiWRA 09 Souris-Red-RainyWRA 10 Missouri
WRA 11 Arkansas-White-RedWRA 12 Texas-GulfWRA 13 Rio GrandeWRA
14 Upper ColoradoWRA 15 Lower Colorado
WRA 16 Great BasinWRA 17 Pacific NorthwestWRA 18 CaliforniaWRA
19 AlaskaWRA 20 Hawaii
1.0
6.66.59.93.62.8
3.910.512.4
5.97.1
3.43.13.55.83.8
3.66.55.5
12.610.5
7.04.64.0
21.36.2
4.02.23.56.58.6
5.711.712.3
2.79.1
8.04.57.7
15.115.7
3.810.0
5.93.28.0
16.73.8
16.54.12.2
4.86.04.55.06.1
20.02.83.3
10.72.5
6.68.1
10.98.8
10.1
6.52.72.96.53.4
3.1
9.48.87.12.98.5
10.217.0
5.68.75.3
34.78.94.86.5
15.3
5.28.49.9
18.012.1
10.24.53.63.54.8
14.28.48.4
13.67.8
25.512.811.6
8.010.1
12.59.4
17.811.917.1
9.57.8
13.614.717.9
19.610.022.8
4.313.5
11.67.25.13.86.4
14.23.92.86.16.2
8.310.529.423.718.0
10.15.68.48.8
34.7
1.0
6.13.92.42.33.5
3.98.24.12.34.3
14.12.11.72.42.8
2.55.63.19.65.6
6.72.22.22.42.3
4.13.23.69.44.0
4.710.7
7.92.89.6
3.82.8
11.08.76.8
2.75.15.43.2
13.9
8.93.5
11.51.83.8
5.32.72.02.13.7
10.81.51.74.32.2
5.43.96.47.92.6
3.41.73.43.9
14.1
3.2
9.56.92.62.73.9
12.715.3
5.76.84.3
20.34.85.06.6
16.2
4.98.78.8
26.212.1
11.84.63.62.64.3
35.67.46.5
14.28.8
5.814.014.210.010.1
8.216.120.316.112.4
9.18.15.66.7
22.8
12.46.5
33.25.09.1
17.16.53.93.96.7
13.74.32.56.39.0
5.26.36.7
23.52.7
6.66.43.86.9
20.3
1.7
6.54.27.99.0
11.2
5.010.7
4.08.95.0
9.63.01.72.42.9
2.96.17.1
11.65.7
7.82.42.44.14.0
7.04.57.5
13.45.0
5.412.0
8.53.6
11.4
4.45.0
11.16.07.0
4.16.07.66.2
25.3
10.94.4
10.11.88.8
6.42.93.72.23.7
11.71.54.24.63.2
6.94.88.5
11.68.2
6.12.3
10.64.29.6
1.4
31.253.5
2.82.63.8
7.8 - -
5.619.0
22.26.0
29.935.515.2
9.224.4
3.441.097.9
43.598.013.8
3.13.5
5.16.84.9
21.429.7
8.5 -
59.910.453.5
11.44.8
34.813.074.6
8.734.4
8.84.3
50.9
-9.2(Z)
74.94.9
35.524.0
5.374.731.4
97.214.8
2.015.2
3.6
6.710.7
9.49.82.8
4.13.93.8
53.522.2
1.4
7.735.4
2.63.43.4
5.311.0
9.83.25.2
19.73.02.23.33.3
3.46.43.7
13.28.0
10.62.82.63.33.1
5.44.44.3
18.08.7
4.413.715.7
6.236.2
5.43.5
11.512.111.1
49.97.56.04.4
17.2
10.93.97.04.24.7
9.44.52.72.46.3
12.72.22.65.44.0
5.64.86.38.02.6
3.72.13.3
35.419.7
1.8
10.312.628.9
3.57.5
9.224.8
4.77.56.1
25.87.92.25.44.5
3.215.7
5.021.9
9.6
29.46.93.24.82.8
30.13.97.5
13.08.8
7.219.926.8
5.518.4
7.417.216.937.821.6
6.416.1
4.915.716.7
28.813.031.1
3.616.6
12.76.95.65.66.4
20.22.52.56.33.3
5.25.78.0
53.126.1
8.58.17.5
12.625.8
1.6
7.411.332.4
3.35.5
8.211.9
5.46.24.6
11.46.12.24.64.0
4.97.9
18.014.512.1
8.46.83.44.42.7
9.23.77.09.26.6
8.113.911.3
4.711.9
7.18.2
11.419.515.1
5.910.8
5.015.014.0
15.77.4
22.110.211.8
6.05.74.15.55.1
17.74.53.76.73.0
4.95.98.0
20.328.5
11.64.45.4
11.311.4
3.0
6.38.26.53.59.9
5.57.95.74.66.1
16.93.42.33.33.9
4.09.43.8
20.413.0
14.82.82.73.72.9
7.75.16.8
14.05.8
5.015.110.7
5.231.7
4.05.8
11.78.6
11.3
5.617.7
9.09.2
24.4
12.15.3
17.13.4
10.8
11.74.23.42.66.4
17.32.22.66.33.9
9.74.47.4
16.56.3
6.12.79.88.2
16.9
4.3
18.113.911.015.715.0
15.426.813.412.019.7
17.49.29.99.7
12.7
11.318.6
7.517.618.1
19.911.038.1
6.97.5
18.916.113.624.119.4
9.918.420.612.323.1
14.314.718.527.316.2
20.521.812.214.335.8
30.313.649.7
9.325.1
11.89.48.98.99.6
19.714.211.011.511.2
12.711.310.626.811.3
10.87.1
14.813.917.4
3.0
18.112.4
7.77.08.7
10.929.916.0
6.17.1
12.66.75.6
12.37.3
7.418.443.625.013.8
11.65.25.25.97.4
9.48.5
11.426.5
8.3
8.017.516.113.614.3
8.811.924.055.913.9
10.114.512.710.253.1
32.38.2
62.55.18.6
9.810.0
4.74.3
13.1
48.33.4
11.09.16.0
13.78.4
11.611.9
7.6
15.64.48.6
12.412.6
-
2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL EXPLANATION XVIIUSDA,
National Agricultural Statistics Service
The relative standard errors given in Table C can beused to
construct confidence intervals for the majorsurvey items.
Confidence intervals are another way toexpress the precision of an
estimate by calculating theupper and lower bounds for a level of
confidence. Thisconfidence interval is designed to contain the
truevalue being estimated. If all possible samples wereselected,
each of the samples were surveyed underessentially the same
conditions, and an estimate and itsstandard error were calculated
from each sample, then:
1. Approximately 67 percent of the intervals fromone standard
error below the estimate to onestandard error above the estimate
would includethe average value of all possible samples.
2. Approximately 90 percent of the intervals from1.65 standard
errors below the estimate to 1.65standard errors above the estimate
would includethe average value of all possible samples.
The computations necessary to construct theconfidence intervals
associated with these statementsare illustrated in the following
example: Assume thatthe estimated number of irrigated acres of a
certainitem is 669,813 and the relative standard error of
theestimate is 1.6 percent (0.016). Multiplying 669,813by 0.016
yields 10,717, the standard error. Therefore,a 67 percent
confidence interval is 659,096 to 680,530(i.e., 669,813 + 10,717).
Similarly, a 90 percentconfidence interval is 652,130 to 687,496
(i.e., 669,813+ 1.65 x 10,717).
Estimation
Estimates were produced for the Nation as a whole, foreach of
the 50 States, and for the geographic domainsknown as Water
Resources Areas (WRA). Theestimation methodology accounted for both
selectionof the survey sample and survey nonresponse. Theestimator
for the State totals was a direct expansionreweighted estimator.
The expansion factor was theinverse of the selection probability
for the samplefarms in a stratum. This expansion factor
wasreweighted at the stratum level to account for whole-farm
nonresponse. The nonresponse adjustment factorused to reweight the
expansion factor was the ratio ofthe number of sample farms in a
stratum to the numberof sample farms that responded to the survey
in that
stratum. The assumption underlying this weightingapproach to
survey nonresponse was that surveyrespondents and nonrespondents
within a stratumconstitute a homogeneous population, thus
allowingrespondents to represent nonrespondents. Thereweighted
expansion factor is the product of these twofactors and is equal to
the ratio of the total number offarms in the stratum to the total
number of samplefarms that responded to the survey in that stratum.
Anexpanded data value for a sample record was obtainedby
multiplying the data value by the reweightedexpansion factor. State
totals for a characteristic wereestimated by summing the expanded
data values fromall responding sample records across all strata
withinthe State. National estimates were obtained bysumming across
all States. The WRA estimates wereobtained by summing the expanded
data values for theportion of the sample falling into the WRA.
EDITING
Reported data that were obviously incorrect due
tomisinterpretation of a question were either corrected ordeleted
prior to the computer edit. In some cases,respondents may have
failed to provide all of theinformation requested, only indicating
the presence ofan item but not the amount. Imputations were madefor
missing data on acres irrigated, quantity of waterused, method of
water distribution, yield of cropsharvested, maintenance and repair
costs, cost of waterreceived from off-farm water suppliers,
wellcharacteristics, and energy cost of well pumps.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE DATA
Analysts reviewing the returned report forms andresults of the
computer edit detected a few inquiriesthat were not uniformly
interpreted by all respondents.Data users should be aware that
respondentinterpretation of some questions may affect the
finalresults in their use of these selected
statistics.Clarification of data items with potential extortions
anddata impacted by unique problems or definitions areprovided
below.
Irrigated land - Irrigated land is defined as “all landwatered
by artificial or controlled means.” No attempthas been made to
define the degree or intensity ofirrigation. Therefore, the figures
for irrigated land
-
XVIII GENERAL EXPLANATION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA,
National Agricultural Statistics Service
include land with as little as one inch of water appliedas well
as land having several feet of water applied.
Nonirrigated crop yields - Data users are remindedthat the
nonirrigated crop yield averages in Table 27are for nonirrigated
crops harvested from farms havingland irrigated and may not be
comparable with cropyield averages for total farms in the State.
Yields forsweet corn, tomatoes, and lettuce were asked for thefirst
time in 2003. However, many respondents leftyields blank which
required a large amount ofimputation and the yields that were
reported for thesecrops covered an extremely large range
indicatingrespondents did not always use the hundredweight
unitrequested on the form. Therefore it was decided thatthese three
vegetable yields would not be published.
Estimated quantity of water applied - Most waterused for
irrigation is not metered or measuredaccurately. The quantity of
water data are on the basisof best estimates provided by
irrigators. Generally, inareas of water scarcity such as southern
California andArizona, irrigators are more likely to be able to
provideactual quantities of water used than in Mountain Statessuch
as Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho where scarcityof water is less of a
problem. In the Mountain Stateswhere water from snow-melt is
diverted for use inseason, the amount of water used may be a
roughestimate, seldom a measured figure.
Farms using off-farm water - In 2003, respondentswere asked to
report the amount (none, some, all, orunknown) of off-farm water
supplied by the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation, other federal agencies,
and allother suppliers. However, many respondents did notanswer
this question. No imputation was used todetermine an amount by
source. Instead, the edit setthe entry to unknown. The number using
water fromU.S. Bureau of Reclamation, other federal agencies,and
all other suppliers may be understated.
Average hours of operation - The total hours a wellpump operated
was collected for each of the first threewells reported. For the
remaining number of wellpumps, respondents were asked to report the
averagehours the pumps operated. Some data collected in thisentry
exceeded 8,760 hours, the maximum number ofhours in a year, meaning
that some respondents hadentered their total pump operating hours
rather than the
average hours used. Records exceeding the 8,760 hourthreshold
were edited, but other records may have beentabulated with inflated
operating hours.
Application of commercial fertilizers or pesticidesin irrigation
water - This inquiry was intended tomeasure the number of farms and
acres on whichfertilizer and pesticides were distributed
throughirrigation systems. The question was redesigned in2003 to
avoid the overstated farm count and acresthought to have occurred
in 1998 because respondentsmisinterpreted the inquiry to include
conventionalapplication of fertilizer and pesticides to the
irrigatedcrop as well. Review of the 2003 data suggests thatfarmers
may have missed the question on the reportform and left it blank.
Therefore, farms and acres maybe understated in 2003.
Cost of water received from off-farm watersuppliers - Irrigators
receiving water from off-farmwater suppliers are generally required
to pay for thewater in charges, fees, or assessment. The
computeredit procedures called for imputing an estimate for costof
water based on other reports from the samegeographic area. The
final tabulated results for thisitem may be overstated because it
was not possible todistinguish cases where the respondent received
freewater from cases where the cost amount was omittedin error,
leading to imputation of a dollar amount.States with small sample
sizes, mostly in theNortheast, reported a wide range for the cost
of waterwith data skewed to the high end which may be due tothe use
of expensive municipal water on small acres.
Irrigation wells - The question was intended tocapture only
those wells used for irrigation purposes.However, some farm
operators reported wells used fordomestic purposes or livestock as
well. When sucherrors were identified, these entries were
deleted.
Artesian wells - A specific entry space was providedfor artesian
wells. The data for well pumps excludeany pumps that may have
actually been used to pumpwater from artesian wells.
Irrigation pumps - The inventory figures for numberof irrigation
pumps reported in Table 16 includereserve pumps not actually used
in 2003, but excludeany pumps on wells not used in 2003. By
definition,
-
2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL EXPLANATION XIXUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
flowing or artesian wells do not have well pumps.
Expenditures for maintenance and repair andinvestment in
irrigation facilities and equipment -The data reported are for
expenditures that occurredonly in 2003. Some respondents found it
difficult toseparate expenditures for maintenance and repairs
frominvestment in irrigation facilities and equipment asdefined on
the report form. For example, replacementof worn-out sprinkler
nozzles, pumps, and motorscould be considered as either repair cost
or investmentin new equipment. Data users are reminded that
thedistinction between the two expenditure categories wasleft up to
the respondent.
Government programs - This item shows the effectof government
programs on irrigation practices.
Improvements to irrigation systems that reduceenergy and/or
conserve water used in irrigation -This item shows the benefits of
new resource-conserving irrigation systems. Respondents wereasked
to respond for the period covering 1998 to 2003.The information was
tabulated as reported. Noimputation was made for a blank
response.
Sources of irrigation information - This questionidentifies
where farmers look for help in makingirrigation decisions. The
information for this item wastabulated as reported. No imputation
was made for ablank response.
Reason for discontinuance of irrigation since 2002 -The data
shown in Table 42 reflect the expansion ofreported entries. Some
respondents reported multiplereasons, while others gave no specific
reason.
Table D. Leading Irrigation States: 2002, 1997, and 1992
Censuses
Geographic areaAcres irrigated Rank 2002 cumulative
percent of U.S.total2002 1997 1992 1 2002 1997 1992
United States 55,311,236 56,289,172 49,404,030 (X) (X) (X)
100.0
20 Leading States 50,812,487 52,266,055 45,703,882 (X) (X) (X)
91.9
California 8,709,353 8,886,693 7,571,313 1 1 1 15.7
Nebraska 7,625,170 7,065,556 6,311,633 2 2 2 29.5
Texas 5,074,638 5,764,295 4,912,308 3 3 3 38.7
Arkansas 4,149,766 3,785,338 2,701,651 4 4 7 46.2
Idaho 3,288,522 3,543,805 3,260,006 5 5 4 52.2
Kansas 2,678,277 2,695,816 2,680,343 6 7 6 57.0
Colorado 2,590,604 3,374,233 3,169,839 7 6 5 61.7
Montana 1,976,111 2,101,548 1,978,167 8 8 8 65.3
Oregon 1,970,627 1,963,478 1,622,235 9 9 9 68.7
Washington 1,823,155 1,787,120 1,641,437 10 11 11 72.0
Florida 1,815,174 1,873,823 1,782,680 11 10 10 75.3
Wyoming 1,541,688 1,749,908 1,464,585 12 12 12 78.1
Mississippi 1,175,530 1,110,145 882,976 13 14 19 80.2
Utah 1,091,011 1,218,474 1,142,514 14 13 13 82.2
Missouri 1,032,973 921,113 708,864 15 17 20 84.0
Louisiana 938,841 960,831 897,641 16 16 17 85.7
Arizona 931,735 1,075,336 956,454 17 15 14 87.4
Georgia 870,710 773,066 724,792 18 19 18 89.0
New Mexico 844,799 851,735 738,272 19 18 16 90.5
Nevada 746,653 763,742 556,172 20 20 15 91.9 1 1992 data have
not been adjusted for farms not on the mail list.
-
XX GENERAL EXPLANATION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
SUMMARY
Irrigated Crops
Compared with 1998, the number of farms and ranchesirrigating
fell 2 percent to 220,163 in 2003, and totalland irrigated was down
3 percent to 52.6 millionacres. The leading States in total acreage
of irrigatedland in 2003 were California (16 percent of U.S.
total),Nebraska (14 percent), and Texas (9 percent). Table Dshows
the top twenty states from the 2002 census andtheir previous census
acres irrigated and rank.
Corn for grain or seed continues to be the dominantirrigated
crop accounting for nearly 19 percent ofirrigated land. The top
irrigated crops in the UnitedStates in 2003 were corn for grain or
seed, alfalfa hay,soybeans, land in orchards, and cotton. These
cropsaccounted for 56 percent of all irrigated land.
Irrigatedpastureland accounted for 3.63 million acres in 2003,down
8 percent from 1998.
Estimated Quantity of Water Applied
The total quantity of water applied in 2003 was down11 percent
from 1998. Nationally, irrigators estimateda total of 86.9 million
acre-feet of water was applied tothe 52.6 million acres irrigated
in 2003 for an averageof 1.7 acre-feet per acre irrigated. Table E
shows theaverage acre-feet of water applied per irrigated acre
inthe U.S. over the last 29 years. The average amount ofwater
applied per acre in 2003 ranged from a high of5.6 acre-feet in
Massachusetts, to a low of 0.4 acre-feetin several States.
Table E. Average Acre-Feet of Water Applied: 2003and Earlier
Surveys and 1974 Census
Year and sourceAmountapplied
(acre-feet)
2003 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 1.65
1998 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 1.79
1994 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 1.72
1988 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 1.82
1984 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 1.8
1979 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 1.86
1974 Census of Agriculture 2.09
Method of Irrigation
In 2003, farmers and ranchers irrigated 52.6 millionacres by
different water distribution systems. Of thetotal acres irrigated,
26.9 million acres were irrigatedby sprinkler systems and 23.1
million acres by gravityflow systems. For the first time, the Farm
and RanchIrrigation Survey shows more acres irrigated withsprinkler
systems than gravity flow systems.
Sprinkler systems were used on 51 percent of the totalland
irrigated in 2003 compared with 46 percent in1998, 46 percent in
1994, and 40 percent in 1988.Gravity flow systems were used on 43
percent of theland in 2003, compared with 50 percent in 1998,
50percent in 1994, and 59 percent in 1988. Table Fshows acres
irrigated by method in 2003 and 1998.
Table F. Acres Irrigated by Method of Irrigation:2003 and 1998
Surveys
Method1998acres
irrigated
2003acres
irrigated
Percentchange
Sprinklers 24,865,142 26,937,835 + 8.3
Center pivot - low pressure 9,292,022 9,696,930 + 4.4
Center pivot - medium pressure 7,419,409 9,657,353 +30.2
Center pivot - high pressure 1,983,869 1,938,808 - 2.3
Linear move towers 284,756 344,162 +20.9
Solid set and permanent 1,222,683 1,177,953 - 3.7
Side roll 2,033,825 1,825,901 -10.3
Big gun or traveller 765,794 633,188 -17.3
Hand move 1,862,784 1,663,540 -10.7
Gravity flow 27,273,419 23,124,131 -15.2
Down rows or furrows 14,025,125 11,723,084 -16.4
Controlled flooding 8,472,646 8,847,392 + 4.4
Uncontrolled flooding 3,273,796 2,297,956 -29.8
Other gravity 1,501,852 255,699 -83.0
Drip, trickle, or low-flow 2,259,176 2,988,101 +32.3
Subirrigation 549,655 279,522 - 49.2
Data tabulations for farms having only one of the fourkinds of
distribution systems - sprinklers, gravity, drip,or subirrigation -
show noticeable differences in theamount of water applied per acre
by each system. Forexample, farms using only sprinkler systems
applied1.3 acre-feet per acre irrigated, compared with 2.0
acre-feet for farms using only gravity flow systems.
-
2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL EXPLANATION XXIUSDA, National
Agricultural Statistics Service
Source of Water
Of the 52.6 million acres irrigated by water from allsources in
2003, about 32.3 million acres (61 percent)were irrigated from farm
irrigation wells, 7.28 millionacres (13 percent) from on-farm
surface sources, and13.9 million acres (26 percent) from off-farm
watersuppliers. Of the 86.9 million acre-feet of waterestimated to
be used for irrigation in 2003, 43.5 millionwere pumped from wells,
11.8 million were providedby on-farm surface sources, and 31.6
million camefrom off-farm water suppliers. Table G shows howthese
data correspond to previous farm and ranchirrigation surveys.
Table G. Irrigation Water Used by Source: 2003 andEarlier
Surveys
Source 2003 1998 1994 1988 1984
Total: Acre-feet (million) 86.9 97.3 79.6 84.1 82.7
Wells: Acre-feet (million) 43.5 43.8 39.4 40.5 36.2
Percent 50 45 49 48 44
On-farm: Acre-feet (million) 11.8 11.9 8.6 8.9 10.2
Percent 14 12 11 11 12
Off-farm: Acre-feet (million) 31.6 41.5 31.6 34.9 36.2
Percent 36 43 40 41 44
The average amount of water applied per acre variessignificantly
by source. Land irrigated from wells onlyaveraged 1.2 acre-feet per
acre, while land irrigatedfrom off-farm water suppliers averaged
2.3 acre-feetper acre. Sprinkler irrigation is more closely related
tothe distribution of well water, while gravity flowsystems are
generally used to distribute water from off-farm water
suppliers.
Irrigation Wells
There were 401,193 irrigation wells capable of beingused on
104,776 farms. Of these, 375,851 wells wereactually pumped in 2003
and 3,823 were artesian orfree flowing. All irrigation wells
supplied 43.5 millionacre-feet of water to 32.3 million acres of
land,
averaging 1.35 acre-feet of water applied and 85.2acres
irrigated per well. Farms with wells used in 2003averaged 3.6 wells
per farm. Nearly 66 percent of thefarms using wells in 2003 used
one or two wells.However, the majority of wells used, 229,626, were
onthe18,618 farms using more than five wells, indicatingthe impact
of the large irrigators. Pumped wells for theUnited States averaged
238 feet in well depth, 158 feetin pumping depth, 819 gallons per
minute in pumpingcapacity, and 1,039 hours in operation.
Irrigation Expenditures
Pumping costs - There were 497,443 irrigation pumpsof all kinds
used on 153,117 farms in 2003 irrigating42.9 million acres of land.
These pumps were poweredby fuels and electricity costing irrigators
a total of$1.55 billion or an average of $10,135 per farm.
Theprincipal energy source used was electricity, for which$953
million was spent to power 319,102 pumps thatirrigated 24.1 million
acres at an average cost of$39.50 per acre. Solar energy was
reported as thesource for pumping wells on 360 farms
irrigating16,430 acres.
Cost of water from off-farm water suppliers - The31.6 million
acre-feet of water received from off-farmwater suppliers to
irrigate 13.9 million acres costirrigators $579 million, for an
average cost of $18.29per acre-foot of water or $41.73 per acre
irrigated.There were 20,349 farms receiving off-farm water atno
cost.
Maintenance and repair cost - Expenditures formaintenance and
repairs totaled $492 million on119,952 farms, for an average of
$4,099 per farm.
Expenses for hired and contract labor - In 2003,62,260 farms
paid $658 million for labor, an average of$10,559 per farm or
$24.13 per acre. Nearly 90percent of the wages were paid to hired
laborers.
Investment in irrigation equipment, facilities, andland
improvement - Investments totaled $1.13 billionfor an average of
$13,056 per farm in 2003. The
-
XXII GENERAL EXPLANATION 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTUREUSDA,
National Agricultural Statistics Service
principal investment was the purchase of irrigationequipment and
machinery which totaled $817 millionand represents 73 percent of
total investments.
Discontinuance of Irrigation in 2003
An estimated 32,489 farmers who irrigated a total of1.85 million
acres in 2002, according to the 2002census, did not irrigate in
2003. The majority, 91percent, of these operators reported that
theirdiscontinuance was not permanent.
Improvements to Irrigation Systems
Approximately 26.4 million acres irrigated werereported to have
had improvements made on them toreduce energy use or conserve water
since 1998. Theseimprovements resulted in reduced water
requirementson 18.5 million acres irrigated, improved crop yield
on18.7 million acres irrigated, and decreased energy costson 15.3
million acres irrigated.
-
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Re
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Re
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2
Re
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Re
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AK
Reg
ion
20
Ha
wa
ii
HI
U.S
. D
ep
art
me
nt
of
Ag
ricu
lture
, N
atio
na
l Ag
ricu
ltura
l Sta
tistic
s S
erv
ice
No
te:
Wa
ter
reso
urc
e r
eg
ion
s o
utli
ne
the
ma
jor
dra
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ge
are
as
of t
he
Un
ited
Sta
tes.
Th
ese
bo
un
da
ries
wh
ich
ofte
n s
plit
co
un
ty li
ne
s a
re d
efin
ed
by
the
U.S
. Ge
olo
gic
al S
urv
ey.
F
or
this
re
po
rt, t
he
bo
un
da
ries
of
the
wa
ter
re
sou
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re
gio
ns
ha
ve b
ee
n m
od
ifie
d to
co
nfo
rm t
o t
he
ne
are
st c
ou
nty
lin
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Re
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ns
are
sh
ow
n a
s co
ntig
uo
us
are
as
for
this
ma
p.
Reg
ion
19
Ala
ska
Water Resources Areas Map of the United States
2003 FARM AND RANCH IRRIGATION SURVEY 12002 CENSUS OF
AGRICULTUREUSDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
-
Sou
rce:
Clim
ate
Pre
dict
ion
Cen
ter,
NO
AA
.
C
ompu
ter g
ener
ated
con
tour
s
b
ased
on
prel
imin
ary
data
.
150
- 199
100
- 149
75 -
99
50 -
74
25 -
49
Perc
ent
140
144
109
132
121
144
113
104
73 9380
9070
70
72
Percent of Normal Precipitation, Jan. - Dec. 2003
2 2003 FARM AND RANCH IRRIGATION SURVEY 2002 CENSUS OF
AGRICULTUREUSDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
-
2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE 2003 FARM AND RANCH IRRIGATION SURVEY
3USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service
Table 1. Irrigated Farms in the Censuses of Agriculture: 2002
and Earlier Censuses[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see
introductory text]
Geographic area2002 1997
Not adjusted for coverage
1997 1992 1987 1982
Farms Acresirrigated FarmsAcres
irrigated FarmsAcres
irrigated FarmsAcres
irrigated FarmsAcres
irrigated FarmsAcres
irrigated
United States
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCalifornia
ColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgia
HawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowa
KansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMaryland
MassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouri
MontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew Jersey
New MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhio
OklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth Carolina
South DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermont
VirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
299,583
1,698150
4,1725,847
55,596
13,623801439
13,4565,369
2,23115,901
2,0312,212
976
5,9153,6063,4961,0311,265
1,5804,4132,4332,2353,304
10,15017,970
1,981451
2,124
8,2823,3076,721
6592,623
2,94217,776
4,108264
1,918
1,7552,592
21,16411,587
508
3,33115,534
4082,4575,191
55,311,236
108,7832,742
931,7354,149,7668,709,353
2,590,65410,13997,167
1,815,174870,810
69,1943,288,522
390,843313,130142,109
2,678,27736,751
938,84119,70380,828
23,720456,278454,850
1,175,5301,032,973
1,976,1117,625,170
746,6532,292
96,893
844,79974,663
264,057202,817
40,685
517,5531,907,627
42,5163,963
95,642
401,08361,217
5,074,6381,091,011
2,335
98,9131,823,155
1,981385,902
1,541,688
308,818
1,503114
4,2336,887
63,226
15,747809430
14,5734,752
2,24116,683
2,0721,9181,006
6,1094,2333,784
8051,198
2,0214,1232,2651,9123,108
10,09819,297
2,296506
2,222
8,9532,8355,059
7301,967
2,86017,016
3,554211
1,435
1,5551,985
21,10612,230
409
2,50916,261
3192,2695,384
56,289,172
79,6472,667
1,075,3363,785,3388,886,693
3,374,2337,689
75,0241,873,823
773,066
76,9713,543,805
351,676255,917133,149
2,695,81660,027
960,83122,22968,663
26,820407,071403,289
1,110,145921,113
2,101,5487,065,556
763,7422,838
94,380
851,73573,791
156,315183,004
35,073
509,1091,963,478
40,0893,333
88,898
367,19547,010
5,764,2951,218,474
2,845
86,3881,787,120
3,543358,467
1,749,908
279,442
1,301114
3,4266,593
55,920
15,470674415
12,6734,372
2,24115,191
2,0211,753
957
6,1354,1043,400
6711,154
1,6303,7522,1931,7692,891
9,05918,804
2,159429
2,089
7,4442,5014,695
7101,778
2,71015,348
2,814180
1,248
1,4391,768
18,75611,291
333
2,33713,131
2682,0255,306
55,058,128
76,8712,667
1,013,9023,717,2178,712,893
3,430,1297,366
72,6351,862,404
748,520
76,9713,493,542
349,799250,050124,983
2,707,48958,490
942,52821,79168,588
24,564393,485380,394
1,076,231881,924
1,994,4846,939,036
764,7382,691
92,965
804,61669,197
156,250180,362
33,997
506