Producer perceptions on the value and availability of water for irrigation in the Mississippi Delta

Authors: KAUR, GURPREET - Mississippi State University; ASHWELL,NICOLAS, QUINTANA - Mississippi State University; SINGH, GURBIR - Mississippi State University; GHOLSON, DREW - Mississippi State University; Locke, Martin; KRUTZ, JASON - Mississippi State University; COOKE, TREY - Nature Conservancy

Submitted to: Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/22/2023
Publication Date: 9/25/2023
Citation: Kaur, G., Ashwell,Nicolas, Q.E., Singh, G., Gholson, D., Locke, M.A., Krutz, J., Cooke, T. 2023. Producer perceptions on the value and availability of water for irrigation in the Mississippi Delta. Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education. 178(1);60-70. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704X.2023.3393.x.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704X.2023.3393.x

Interpretive Summary: A survey was conducted in the Delta region of the state of Mississippi, USA, in 2012 to assess growers' perceptions of the value and availability of water for irrigation. The total cooperation rate for this survey was 79.3%. The results showed that 97.39% (448 out of 460) respondents believed that water is important for farming in the Delta region of the lower Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA). Fifty-two percent of the survey respondents agreed that the major cause of groundwater depletion is agricultural irrigation water use. More than 50% of the survey respondents believed there is sufficient water in the Delta region, but it is not managed properly. The value of water for irrigation ranged from $463 to $690 per ha for corn (Zea mays L.), $399 to $615 per ha for soybean (Glycine max L.), and $223 to $336 per ha for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Delta-wide, 24.1% of respondents believe that there is a water shortage, and 3.5% responded that there is a water crisis. The majority of the respondents considered that there is a need for regulation of water use to protect the aquifer and ensure water availability in the future.

Technical Abstract: A survey was conducted in the Delta region of the state of Mississippi, USA, in 2012 to assess growers' perceptions of the value and availability of water for irrigation. The total cooperation rate for this survey was 79.3%. The results showed that 97.39% (448 out of 460) respondents believed that water is important for farming in the Delta region of the lower Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA). Fifty-two percent of the survey respondents agreed that the major cause of groundwater depletion is agricultural irrigation water use. More than 50% of the survey respondents believed there is sufficient water in the Delta region, but it is not managed properly. The value of water for irrigation ranged from $463 to $690 per ha for corn (Zea mays L.), $399 to $615 per ha for soybean (Glycine max L.), and $223 to $336 per ha for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Delta-wide, 24.1% of respondents believe that there is a water shortage, and 3.5% responded that there is a water crisis. The majority of the respondents considered that there is a need for regulation of water use to protect the aquifer and ensure water availability in the future.