Irrigation and Water Management

ACH17-12/November 2019

Highlights Results from the 2018 Irrigation and Water Management Survey

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus

Number and Location

In 2018, there were 231,474 farms in 

the United States that irrigated at some 

point during the year, an increase of 

2,237 farms since 2013. They irrigated 

55.9 million acres (about one-fourth of 

their farmland), applying 83.4 million 

acre-feet of water, a decrease of 5.8 

percent from 2013. The average amount 

of water applied per acre was 1.5 acrefeet, down from 1.6 in 2013. 

Five states – California, Nebraska, 

Arkansas, Texas, and Idaho – together 

accounted for 50 percent of U.S. 

irrigated acres in 2018 and 56 percent of 

total irrigation water applied.

Irrigation provides water to fields in the 

open and to commodities grown under 

protection. Acres in the open accounted 

for nearly all irrigated acres.

The 2018 Irrigation and Water 

Management Survey collected detailed 

data on irrigation methods and 

water use on U.S. farms, ranches, and 

horticultural operations.

In 2018, U.S. farms irrigated 55.9 million acres with 83.4 million acre-feet 

of water. The number of farms irrigating and the amount of land irrigated 

increased slightly between 2013 and 2018, while the total amount of water 

used for irrigation declined. Irrigation needs vary depending on weather and 

the commodities grown. Five states accounted for about half of the irrigated 

acres and water applied. Wells provided half of the water used for irrigation, 

and sprinkler systems were the most widely used distribution method. 

231,474 

irrigating farms

55.9 million 

irrigated acres

83.4 million 

acre-feet of water 

Top States

Irrigated Acreage and Water Use, 2018

Irrigated Acres Water Applied (acre-feet)

million million avg per acre

California 8.4 California 24.5 2.9

Nebraska 7.7 Idaho 6.6 1.9

Arkansas 4.2 Texas 5.3 1.3

Texas 4.1 Arkansas 5.1 1.2

Idaho 3.4 Nebraska 4.9 0.6

Colorado 2.5 Arizona 4.4 4.7

Kansas 2.4 Washington 4.1 2.2

Montana 2.1 Colorado 3.8 1.6

Washington 1.9 Oregon 2.7 1.7

Mississippi 1.7 Montana 2.5 1.2

U.S. Total 55.9 U.S. Total 83.4 1.5

California applied 

the largest total 

amount of 

irrigation water, 

24.5 million acrefeet. 

Arizona applied 

the most water per 

acre, an average of 

4.7 acre-feet. 

The total amount of water 

applied declined 5.8 percent 

between 2013 and 2018.

U.S. Farms that Irrigated, 2013 and 2018

2013 2018 % change

Number of farms 229,237 231,474 1.0

Land in farms (acres) 214.0 mil 222.0 mil 3.8

Irrigated acres 55.3 mil 55.9 mil 1.1

Acre-feet applied

 U.S. total 88.5 mil 83.4 mil -5.8

 Average per acre 1.6 1.5

Acre-foot

The amount of water required to cover one acre to a depth of one foot. 

This is equivalent to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons.
Water Sources, 2018

Irrigated Acres Acre-feet Applied

million million % of total

Ground water from wells 36.2 41.5 50

On-farm surface water 6.3 8.3 10

Off-farm water 15.9 33.6 40

Total 55.9a 83.4 100

a

 Total is less than the sum of individual sources because some irrigated 

acres have more than one water source.

Source: USDA NASS 2018 Irrigation and Water Management Survey (2017 Census of Agriculture).

Water Sources and Distribution Systems

Producers relied on three sources of water for irrigation: ground water from on-farm wells, 

surface water on the farm, and off-farm water from a variety of sources and suppliers. They 

relied on sprinkler systems, gravity systems, and a variety of drip, trickle, or other low-flow 

micro systems to distribute the water.

Irrigation Expenses

Energy costs for pumping well and surface 

water amounted to $2.4 billion; the average 

cost per farm was $15,289. 

Infrastructure costs for equipment, 

facilities, land improvement, and computer 

technology were $2.0 billion. Water 

purchased from off-farm sources and labor 

costs each amounted to $1.1 billion. 

Horticulture Operations

Horticulture operations irrigate both fields in the open and areas under protection. In 2018, 

these operations irrigated 581,936 acres in the open, a 57,709-acre increase from 2013. They 

also irrigated 1.5 billion square feet under protection, an increase of 120 million from 2013. 

Some types of horticulture crops, such as sod, are grown almost exclusively in the open.

Top Crops Irrigated by Horticulture Operations, 2018

In the Open (acres) Under Protection (mil sq feet)

Sod 260,974 Floriculture and bedding 737.4

Nursery crops 198,995 Nursery crops 503.2

Propagative materials 78,401 Food under protection 158.2

Floriculture and bedding 30,448 Propagative materials 121.1

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Ground water 

from on-farm 

wells accounted 

for 50 percent of 

irrigation water 

applied.

Distribution Systems, Acres in the Open, 2018

Farms Irrigated Acres

number million

Sprinkler 109,184 31.7

Gravity 85,888 20.2

Drip, trickle, and low-flow micro 62,158 5.9

Total 220,566a 55.9a

a

 Total is less than the sum because some farms and acres have more than one 

distribution system applied.

Sprinklers were 

the most widely 

used distribution 

system, covering 

31.7 million 

irrigated acres in 

the open.

Irrigation Expenses, U.S. Total and Average per Farm, 2018

U.S. Total ($ billion)

avg per farm w/

the expense ($)

Energy for pumping 2.4 15,289

Infrastructure 2.0 25,075

Water purchased 1.1 14,906

Labor (hired and contract) 1.1 27,030

About the Survey

The 2018 Irrigation and Water 

Management Survey (IWMS) was 

conducted with producers who 

indicated in the 2017 Census of 

Agriculture that they had irrigated 

sometime during the past five years. It 

is the successor to the Farm and Ranch 

Irrigation Survey, 

For more information on the IWMS and 

the Census of Agriculture, go to:

www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus

462,788 Wells

119,235 U.S. farms used 462,788 wells in 

2018 for irrigation. The wells provided 

50 percent of all water for open fields 

and 63 percent of water for protected 

areas. Farms utilizing ground water on 

average had 3.9 wells. 

Of the wells:

• 36 percent had flow meters to 

measure the amount of water 

supplied

• 74 percent had backflow 

prevention devices to prevent cross 

contamination

Most wells required dedicated pumps to 

move ground water to the surface, but

2,844 free-flowing wells on 1,520 farms 

did not require a pump.

235 feet

The average well depth in 2018. 

The average depth to water 

at the beginning of irrigation 

season was 94 feet.