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ARS Home » Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #376394
Research Project: Headquarters Cooperative Programs - Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Systems (NRSAS))

Location: Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Systems

Title: Water Availability for Agriculture in the United States

Author
item Tsegaye, Teferi
item Moriasi, Daniel
item Bryant, Ray
item Bosch, David
item Locke, Martin
item Heilman, Philip - Phil
item Goodrich, David - Dave
item King, Kevin
item Pierson Jr, Frederick
item Buda, Anthony
item Kleinman, Peter

Submitted to: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Society
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/28/2020
Publication Date: 6/1/2020
Citation: Tsegaye, T.D., Moriasi, D.N., Bryant, R.B., Bosch, D.D., Locke, M.A., Heilman, P., Goodrich, D.C., King, K.W., Pierson Jr, F.B., Buda, A.R., Kleinman, P.J. 2020. Water availability for agriculture in the United States. In: Delgado, J., Gantzer, C., Sasssenrath, G., editors. Soil and Water Conservation: A Celebration of 75 Years. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Society. p. 95-114.

Interpretive Summary: The production of food, feed, fiber and energy by agriculture underpins the health and economies of the modern world. Agriculture is the single largest end-user of water in the United States, with today’s production systems reflecting centuries of adaptation to the surfeit and scarcity of available water. Across the United States, the use and conservation of water resources by agriculture reflects unique regional conditions. Anticipated changes in climate will require novel innovations, balancing agriculture’s need for water with those of burgeoning populations of urban consumers, considering the interaction of water quantity and quality as fundamental emphases of water availability, and exploring ways to better reuse and recycle water across society.

Technical Abstract: The production of food, feed, fiber and energy by agriculture underpins the health and economies of the modern world. Agriculture is the single largest end-user of water in the United States, with today’s production systems reflecting centuries of adaptation to the surfeit and scarcity of available water. Across the United States, the use and conservation of water resources by agriculture reflects unique regional conditions. Anticipated changes in climate will require novel innovations, balancing agriculture’s need for water with those of burgeoning populations of urban consumers, considering the interaction of water quantity and quality as fundamental emphases of water availability, and exploring ways to better reuse and recycle water across society.