GIS data and tables associated with irrigated agricultural land use survey in Polk County, FL

A detailed inventory of the current irrigated crop acreage is now available to accurately estimate agricultural water use and future water demands in Polk County, Florida. A detailed digital map and summary of irrigated acreage was developed in an effort to improve the accuracy of crop acreage, type, and location for the 2016 growing season. The irrigated areas were delineated using land-use data provided by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and information obtained from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the Southwest Florida Water Management Districts (SWFWMD) consumptive water-use permits. Each field that showed the presence of an irrigated crop or the potential for irrigation was field verified between April and December 2016. Selected attribute data were collected for each irrigated field, including crop type, primary water source, and type of irrigation system.

Results and field verification of this inventory indicate that during the 2016 growing seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter), an estimated 88,652 acres were irrigated within Polk County. Of the total field-verified crops, 83,995 acres were in citrus; 2,893 acres were in other non-citrus fruit crops (blueberries, grapes, peaches, and strawberries); 621 acres were in row crops (primarily beans and watermelons); 1,117 acres were in nursery (container and tree farms) and sod production; and 26 acres were in field crops including hay and pasture. Of the total inventoried irrigated acreage within Polk County, 98.0 percent (86,566 acres) was in the SWFWMD and the remaining 2.0 percent (2,086 acres) was in the SFWMD.

About 85,788 acres (96.8 percent of the acreage inventoried) were irrigated by a microirrigation system, including drip, bubblers, and spray emitters. The remaining 3.2 percent of the irrigated acreage was irrigated using a sprinkler system (2,360 acres) or subsurface flood systems (504 acres). Groundwater was the primary source of water used to irrigate acreage (88.0 percent, or 78,050 acres); the remaining 10,602 acres (12.0 percent) used a combination of groundwater and surface water as the irrigation source.