Irrigation Trends in Kansas, 1991–2011

By Joan F. Kenny and Kyle E. Juracek

Abstract

This fact sheet examines trends in total reported irrigation 

water use and acres irrigated as well as irrigation water use by 

crop type and system type in Kansas for the years 1991 through 

2011. During the 21-year period, total reported irrigation water 

diversions varied substantially from year to year as affected 

primarily by climatic fluctuations. Total reported acres irrigated 

remained comparatively constant during this time, although 

acreages of irrigated corn increased and center pivots with drop 

nozzles became the dominant system type used for irrigation. 

Introduction

Irrigated agriculture is a fundamental component of the 

Kansas economy. Typically, about 3 million acres in the State 

are used for irrigated agriculture. Principal irrigated crops 

include alfalfa, corn, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat. In Kansas, irrigation is a beneficial use requiring a water right, and 

about 96 percent of water used for irrigation is groundwater 

(Kansas Department of Agriculture and Kansas Geological 

Survey, 2013). Most of the irrigation points of diversion are 

located within the 

extent of the High 

Plains aquifer that 

underlies much of 

western and part 

of south-central 

Kansas (fig. 1). The 

saturated thickness 

of the aquifer in 

many parts of Kansas has declined 

steadily since the 

1940s (McGuire, 

2009) in response 

to groundwater 

pumping for irrigated agriculture. 

Annual water-level 

measurements 

from a network of 

wells in western 

and central Kansas 

indicate an average 

decline of 14 feet 

between 1996 and 

2012. The average 

regional water-level 

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

declines for this period were 32.5 feet in southwest Kansas, 

more than 10 feet in west-central and northwest Kansas, and 

1 foot or more in south-central Kansas (Kansas Geological 

Survey, 2013).

Administration of water rights and regulation of water use 

in Kansas are the responsibility of the Kansas Department of 

Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (DWR). Irrigators 

are required by law to report the quantity of surface water and 

groundwater diverted (hereafter referred to as “water use”) and 

the number of acres irrigated to the DWR annually. Additional 

information collected on annual irrigation water-use reports 

includes crop type and irrigation system type. This fact sheet 

examines trends in total reported irrigation water use and acres 

irrigated as well as irrigation water use by crop type and system 

type in Kansas for the years 1991 through 2011. Average irrigation application rates by crop type and system type also are 

presented. 

Information on irrigation water use, irrigated acres, crop 

type, and system type was obtained from the Water Information 

Management and Analysis System (WIMAS) (Kansas Department of Agriculture and Kansas Geological Survey, 2013). 

Figure 1. Location of High Plains aquifer, irrigation points of diversion, and counties in Kansas.

Fact Sheet 2013–3094

October 2013

EXPLANATION

High Plains Aquifer

Surface water point of diversion

Groundwater point of diversion

Irrigation points of diversion data from Kansas Department of Agriculture,

Division of Water Resources Basin Management Team, 2013

0 20 40 60

20 40 60

80 MILES

0 80 KILOMETERS

Printed on recycled paper
Each year, reported irrigation water-use data undergo extensive 

review by the DWR before release through WIMAS; however, 

the database is dynamic, because data from previous years may 

be updated if better information is received. It is assumed that 

the data used for this report represent reasonably stable records 

for each year. 

Total Irrigation Water Use

The reported number of acres irrigated annually in Kansas 

has remained fairly constant during the 21-year period from 

1991 to 2011, with the lowest number of acres (2.85 million) 

reported for 1993 and the highest (3.27 million) reported for 

2002. Water use, on the other hand, has varied greatly from 

year to year (fig. 2). The largest quantities of water were 

reported for irrigation use during the extremely dry years of 

1991 (4.77 million acre-feet), 2002 (4.43 million acre-feet), 

and 2011 (4.27 million acre-feet). The peak water use in 1991 

occurred in the fourth year of a severe drought period (National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1988–2011), but also 

may have been influenced by the accuracy of water-use measurements at that time. In 1991, only 14 percent of the irrigation 

points of diversion in Kansas were metered; by 2011, this had 

increased to 93 percent. The reported amount of irrigation water 

use is considered to be more accurate if determined using flow 

meters than if calculated using hours pumped and average pump 

rate. Overestimation of irrigation water use usually is a result of 

reporting pump rates that represent original rather than current 

pumping capacities (Kansas Water Office and Division of Water 

Resources, 1993). 

Irrigation Water Use by Crop Type

Major crops irrigated in Kansas are alfalfa, corn, sorghum, 

soybeans, and wheat. Minor irrigated crops include barley, 

cotton, dry beans, grapes, oats, pasture, rye, and sunflowers. 

Self-supplied golf courses, truck farms, orchards, and nurseries 

also have irrigation water rights if more than 15 acre-feet per 

year is used. 

Irrigators first indicated crop type on the 1990 irrigation 

water use reports, reporting acres for alfalfa, corn, sorghum, 

soybeans, wheat, other crops, or unspecified multiple crops. In 

1992, crop reporting codes were expanded to include specific 

other crop types, multiple combinations of specified crop types, 

and double (unspecified) crop acreage. There is no assurance 

that multiple crop acres do not include some sequentially 

(double) cropped acres. The largest numbers of reported acres 

irrigated are for single major crop types (52 percent of reported 

acres in 2011), followed by specified multiple crop types 

(23 percent), and unspecified multiple crops (21 percent). Very 

small percentages of irrigated acres reported for 2011 were for 

double crops (less than 2 percent), minor crops (less than 2 percent), and noncrop uses such as golf courses (0.5 percent). 

Trends in estimated irrigated acres by crop type from 1992 

to 2011 are shown in figure 3. Estimated acres of major and 

other crop types irrigated each year were determined by adding 

the reported acres of single crop types to prorated multiple and 

double crop acres. Acres reported as multiple specified crops 

were divided equally among the crops indicated. Unspecified 

acres in each county were assigned to major and other crop 

types in the proportion that these crops were specified in the 

same county. Proration of multiple and unspecified crop acres 

was not possible for 1991 because of the limited information on 

crop type provided that year. 

The most common irrigated crop in Kansas is corn. Estimated irrigated corn acreage has increased cyclically over the 

20-year period, from approximately 1.29 million acres in 1992 

to 1.81 million acres in 2000 and 1.78 million acres in 2011. 

Irrigated corn represented 43 percent of the total irrigated acreage in 1992, 56 percent in 2000, and 58 percent in 2010 and 

2011. 

Estimated acres of other major crops fluctuated over the 

20-year period. Overall declines were noted in acres of irrigated wheat and sorghum, whereas acres of irrigated soybeans 

increased. 

Figure 2. Reported irrigation water use, acres irrigated, 

and average annual precipitation, Kansas, 1991–2011 (source 

of precipitation data: National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, National Climatic Data Center, published annually).

Figure 3. Estimated acres irrigated by major crop type in Kansas, 

1992–2011.

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

Estimated number of acres irrigated, in millions

199219931994

1995

1996199719981999

200020012002

200320042005

200620072008

20092010

2011

Year

Corn

Wheat

Soybeans

EXPLANATION

Alfalfa

Sorghum

Other

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

2.00

2.25

2.50

2.75

3.00

3.25

3.50

3.75

4.00

4.25

4.50

4.75

5.00

19911992199319941995199619971998

19992000

2001

2002

2003200420052006200720082009

2010

2011

Average annual precipitation, inches

Year

Irrigation water use

Irrigated 

acres

Average annual precipitation

Water diverted for irrigation, in million acre-feet;

acres irrigated, millions 
Irrigation Water Use by System Type

Information on system type was first collected on the 

1991 irrigation water-use reports, using five reporting options: 

flood, subsurface drip, center pivot, other sprinkler, or other. 

For 1992–95, acres irrigated with center pivot Low Energy 

Precision Application (LEPA) were identified. Beginning in 

1996, acres irrigated using center pivot with drop nozzles were 

identified on the water-use reports because this system type had 

become more common than LEPA. Beginning in 2002, acres 

irrigated with combination system type (pivot with flood; drip 

and other) were identified. 

Trends in acres irrigated by system type from 1991 to 2011 

are shown in figure 4. During this time, total acres irrigated 

using flood systems steadily decreased from 1.42 million acres 

to 134,000 acres, or from 46 percent to 4 percent of the total 

acres irrigated. Center pivot systems became the predominant 

method of irrigating during this time, with the greatest increase 

in irrigated acres reported for center pivot systems with drop 

nozzles. By 2011, about 2.32 million acres were irrigated using 

center pivots with drop nozzles, or 76 percent of the total acres 

reported. This shift was encouraged by State and Federal investment in equipment cost sharing, intended to reduce consumptive 

use of groundwater from the High Plains aquifer (Perry, 2006; 

Pfeiffer and Lin, 2010). 

Irrigation Application Rates by Crop Type 

and System Type

Average irrigation application rates were computed as 

the total amount of water pumped divided by the corresponding number of acres irrigated. Approximations of consumptive 

use, conveyance losses, and irrigation system efficiency were 

not part of this equation. On a local basis, irrigation application rates are affected by precipitation, soil permeability, 

temperature, wind, crop type, length of irrigation season, and 

irrigation system type (Perry, 2006). Annual application rates 

calculated using total reported water use and acres irrigated 

also are affected by metering and reporting accuracy, and by the 

fact that a given number of acres reported as irrigated may be 

cropped multiple times in a year. It is not possible to determine 

the actual numbers of acres of each crop irrigated when multiple crops are indicated on the reports, or whether the different crops were grown on the entire acreage sequentially or on 

separate parts of the total acreage. Therefore, overall irrigation 

application rates may appear higher if many acres were cropped 

multiple times in a year, or if pre-irrigation occurred in addition 

to irrigation of the specified crop acreage. 

The State average irrigation application rate in Kansas for 

the years 1991 through 2011 was 1.13 acre-feet per acre (acreft/acre) and ranged from 0.97 acre-ft/acre in 2005 to 1.49 acreft/acre in 1991. State average irrigation application rates of 

1 acre-foot per acre or less occurred in the flood year of 1993, as 

well as in 1999, 2005, and 2009. The largest average irrigation 

application rates occurred in the dry years 1991, 1994, 2002, 

and 2011 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

1988–2011).

Irrigation application rates were calculated using water 

use and irrigated acres reported by major crop type. Statewide 

average annual application rates, in acre-feet/acre, are shown 

in figure 5 for single-crop acres of alfalfa, corn, sorghum, 

soybeans, and wheat, plus all other and multiple crops. Alfalfa 

received the largest application of irrigation, ranging from 1.24 

to 1.78 acre-ft/acre, and averaging 1.45 acre-ft/acre from 1991 

to 2011. Corn irrigation application rates ranged from 1.06 

to 1.57 acre-ft/acre, and averaged 1.26 acre-ft/acre over the 

21-year period. Average statewide irrigation application rates 

for 1991–2011 were 0.96 for soybeans, 0.81 for sorghum, 0.70 

for wheat, and 1.06 acre-ft/acre for all other and multiple crops. 

The average annual application rate for all crops was largest in 

1991, followed by 2011 and 2002. 

Irrigation application rates also were calculated using 

reported information on water use and irrigated acres by system 

type. Average irrigation application rates for 1991–2011 for 

flood, center pivot, center pivot with LEPA, center pivot with 

drop nozzles, and all other types of irrigation systems combined 

are shown in figure 6. From 1991 to 1997, the largest irrigation 

Figure 4. Reported acres irrigated by system type in Kansas, 

1991–2011. [LEPA, Low Energy Precision Application]

Figure 5. Average irrigation application rate by crop type in 

Kansas, 1991–2011.

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

Reported number of irrigated acres, in millions

EXPLANATION

1991199219931994199519961997199819992000

2001

2002

2003

20042005

200620072008

20092010

2011

Year

All other

Center pivot with drop 

 nozzles

Center pivot with LEPA

Center pivot

Flood

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

1991199219931994199519961997199819992000

20012002

2003

20042005

200620072008

20092010

2011

Year

Average irrigation application rate, in acre-feet per acre

EXPLANATION

Alfalfa

Corn

Other plus 

 multiple

Soybeans

Sorghum

Wheat
application rates occurred on acres irrigated by flood systems. 

After 1998, the largest irrigation application rates generally occurred on acres irrigated using center pivots with drop 

nozzles. This increased application rate for center pivots with 

drop nozzles may indicate that more land is being irrigated for 

multiple seasons and crops or that more water-intensive crops 

are being grown. 

Acknowledgments

This study was made possible, in part, by support from 

the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water 

Resources, and the Kansas State Water Plan Fund. 

References Cited 

Kansas Department of Agriculture and Kansas Geological 

Survey, 2013, Water Information Management and Analysis 

System (WIMAS): Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources database, accessed April–May 2013, 

at http://hercules.kgs.ku.edu/geohydro/wimas/index.cfm.

Kansas Geological Survey, 2013, Groundwater levels decline 

in western and central Kansas: [News release issued 

February 4, 2013], accessed August 2013, at http://www.kgs.

ku.edu/General/News/2013/2013groundwaterlevels.html.

Kansas Water Office and Division of Water Resources, 1993, 

1991 Kansas Irrigation Water Use: Topeka, Kans., 115 p.

McGuire, V.L., 2009, Water-level changes in the High Plains 

aquifer, predevelopment to 2007, 2005–06, and 2006–07: 

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 

2009–5019, 9 p.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1988–2011, 

Climatological data, annual summary, Kansas: Asheville, 

North Carolina, National Climatic Data Center, v. 102–125 

[published annually].

Perry, C.A., 2006, Effects of irrigation practices on water use 

in the Groundwater Management Districts within the Kansas 

High Plains, 1991–2003: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2006–5069, 93 p. 

Pfeiffer, Lisa, and Lin, Cynthia C.-Y., 2010, The effect of irrigation technology on groundwater use: Choices Magazine, 

v. 25, no. 3, 6 p.

For additional information concerning this publication, contact:

Director, USGS Kansas Water Science Center

4821 Quail Crest Place

Lawrence, KS 66049

(785) 842–9909

Or visit the Kansas Water Science Center Web site at:

http://ks.water.usgs.gov

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

1991199219931994199519961997199819992000

20012002

200320042005200620072008

200920102011

Year

Average irrigation application rate, in acre-feet per acre

EXPLANATION

Flood

Center pivot

Center pivot with 

 drop nozzles

All other

Center pivot with 

 LEPA

Figure 6. Average irrigation application rate by system type in 

Kansas, 1991–2011. [LEPA, Low Energy Precision Application]

Center pivot irrigation system with 

drop nozzles in western Kansas, 

photograph taken by Lori Marintzer, 

U.S. Geological Survey.