Aquaculture water use is water associated with raising organisms that live in water—such as finfish and shellfish—for food, restoration, conservation, or sport. Aquaculture production occurs under controlled feeding, sanitation, and harvesting procedures primarily in ponds, flowthrough raceways, and, to a lesser extent, cages, net pens, and closed-recirculation tanks.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
2015 Water Use
(source: Dieter, C.A., Maupin, M.A., Caldwell, R.R., Harris, M.A., Ivahnenko, T.I., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2018, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1441, 65 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1441.)
Total withdrawals for aquaculture during 2015 were 7,550 Mgal/d, about 79 percent from surface water. Much of the surface water was used for flowthrough raceways and was returned to the source after use. Aquaculture withdrawals were 2 percent of total withdrawals for 2015.
| State | Percentage of total withdrawals | Cumulative percentage of total withdrawals |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 26% | 26% |
| North Carolina | 13% | 39% |
| California | 10% | 49% |
| Oregon | 8% | 57% |
| Louisiana | 7% | 64% |
Aquaculture withdrawals decreased 16 percent between 2010 and 2015.
Data sources
Some estimates of aquaculture withdrawals are derived from State permits that report water withdrawals or return flows for aquaculture facilities. The USEPA Permit Compliance System database also is a source of return-flow data that are used to estimate water withdrawals. State regulatory agencies, State offices of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and Cooperative Extension Service offices also provide information used to estimate aquaculture withdrawals in some States. Many of the 2015 withdrawals for aquaculture were estimated according to methods described by Lovelace (2009), using aquaculture data compiled for the NASS Census of Aquaculture with standardized water-use coefficients and water-replacement rates. The data included statistics for various aquacultured species and aquaculture ponds, raceways, tanks, egg incubators, pens, and cages at commercial and non-commercial aquaculture operations.
Category history
- 1985: Water use for fish farming included in Livestock
- 1990-1995: Water use was reported in Animal Specialties (fish farming) and Commercial (fish hatcheries)
- 2000 and later: Aquaculture
Below are links for other categories of water use.
Water Use in the United States
Public Supply Water Use
Domestic Water Use
Irrigation Water Use
Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Industrial Water Use
Mining Water Use
Livestock Water Use
Aquaculture water use is water associated with raising organisms that live in water—such as finfish and shellfish—for food, restoration, conservation, or sport. Aquaculture production occurs under controlled feeding, sanitation, and harvesting procedures primarily in ponds, flowthrough raceways, and, to a lesser extent, cages, net pens, and closed-recirculation tanks.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
2015 Water Use
(source: Dieter, C.A., Maupin, M.A., Caldwell, R.R., Harris, M.A., Ivahnenko, T.I., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2018, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1441, 65 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1441.)
Total withdrawals for aquaculture during 2015 were 7,550 Mgal/d, about 79 percent from surface water. Much of the surface water was used for flowthrough raceways and was returned to the source after use. Aquaculture withdrawals were 2 percent of total withdrawals for 2015.
| State | Percentage of total withdrawals | Cumulative percentage of total withdrawals |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 26% | 26% |
| North Carolina | 13% | 39% |
| California | 10% | 49% |
| Oregon | 8% | 57% |
| Louisiana | 7% | 64% |
Aquaculture withdrawals decreased 16 percent between 2010 and 2015.
Data sources
Some estimates of aquaculture withdrawals are derived from State permits that report water withdrawals or return flows for aquaculture facilities. The USEPA Permit Compliance System database also is a source of return-flow data that are used to estimate water withdrawals. State regulatory agencies, State offices of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and Cooperative Extension Service offices also provide information used to estimate aquaculture withdrawals in some States. Many of the 2015 withdrawals for aquaculture were estimated according to methods described by Lovelace (2009), using aquaculture data compiled for the NASS Census of Aquaculture with standardized water-use coefficients and water-replacement rates. The data included statistics for various aquacultured species and aquaculture ponds, raceways, tanks, egg incubators, pens, and cages at commercial and non-commercial aquaculture operations.
Category history
- 1985: Water use for fish farming included in Livestock
- 1990-1995: Water use was reported in Animal Specialties (fish farming) and Commercial (fish hatcheries)
- 2000 and later: Aquaculture
Below are links for other categories of water use.