Irrigation water use includes water that is applied by an irrigation system to sustain plant growth in agricultural and horticultural practices. Irrigation also includes water that is used for pre-irrigation, frost protection, chemical application, weed control, field preparation, crop cooling, harvesting, dust suppression, and leaching salts from the root zone. Estimates of irrigation withdrawals are generally accounted for at the point of diversion (wells, springs, streams, ponds) and include water that is lost in conveyance prior to application on fields, as well as water that may subsequently return to a surface-water body as runoff after application, water consumed as evapotranspiration (ET) from plants and evaporated from the ground, or water that recharges aquifers as it seeps past the root zone.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
Irrigation of golf courses, parks, nurseries, turf farms, cemeteries, and other self-supplied landscape-watering uses also are included in USGS irrigation estimates. Irrigation water use includes self-supplied withdrawals and deliveries from irrigation companies or districts, cooperatives, or governmental entities. All irrigation withdrawals are considered freshwater. Some water used for irrigation is reclaimed wastewater from nearby treatment facilities or industries. Nationwide estimates of consumptive use of water withdrawn for irrigation were estimated for 2015 for the first time since 1995. Irrigated acres are reported by three types of irrigation methods: sprinkler, microirrigation, and surface (flood) systems.
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.)
For 2015, total irrigation withdrawals were 118,000 Mgal/d, which accounted for 42 percent of total freshwater withdrawals. Withdrawals from surface-water sources were 60,900 Mgal/d, which accounted for 52 percent of the total irrigation withdrawals. Groundwater withdrawals for 2015 were 57,200 Mgal/d.
About 63,500 thousand acres were irrigated in 2015, 34,700 thousand acres (55 percent) with sprinkler systems, 23,300 thousand acres with surface (flood), and 5,490 thousand acres with microirrigation systems. The national average application rate for 2015 was 2.09 acre-feet per acre.
| State | Percentage of total withdrawals |
Cumulative percentage of total withdrawals |
|---|---|---|
| California | 16% | 16% |
| Idaho | 13% | 29% |
| Arkansas | 10% | 39% |
| Montana | 8% | 47% |
| Colorado | 8% | 54% |
The majority of total U.S. irrigation withdrawals (81 percent) and irrigated acres (74 percent) were in the 17 conterminous Western States (west of solid line in map above). Surface water was the primary source of water in the arid West, except in California, Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, where more groundwater was used.
Both irrigation withdrawals and total irrigated acres increased about 2 percent between 2010 and 2015. Irrigation withdrawals for 2015 are 21 percent less than 1980, when withdrawals peaked at 150,000 Mgal/d. The use of more water-efficient irrigation systems continued to increase with 10 percent more irrigated acres using sprinkler systems in 2015 than in 2010. About 19 percent more irrigated acres were reported using microirrigation systems between 2010 and 2015.
Data sources
Sources of data for irrigation withdrawals and irrigated acres included State and Federal crop reporting programs, irrigation districts, canal companies, incorporated management areas, satellite data depicting cropland landscapes, and evapotranspiration estimates. Withdrawals were estimated using information on irrigated crop acreages by crop type and specific crop water-consumption coefficients, or irrigation-system application rates, as well as soil-moisture balance models. Estimation methods varied from one State to the next and sometimes between geographic areas within a State. Estimation methods ideally included adjustments for climate, system efficiencies, conveyance losses, and other irrigation practices, such as pre-growing season irrigation, salt leaching, or frost protection. Other methods for estimating irrigation withdrawals included extrapolation of sample data on crop water-application rates or power-consumption coefficients.
Category history
- 1950 and later: Irrigation
- 2000 and later: Some States have estimates for subcategories of Crop Irrigation and Golf Course Irrigation
Graphic of category changes over time
Want to know more about irrigation water use? Follow me to the Irrigation Water Use website!
Below are links for other categories of water use.
Water Use in the United States
Public Supply Water Use
Domestic Water Use
Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Industrial Water Use
Mining Water Use
Livestock Water Use
Aquaculture Water Use
- Overview
Irrigation water use includes water that is applied by an irrigation system to sustain plant growth in agricultural and horticultural practices. Irrigation also includes water that is used for pre-irrigation, frost protection, chemical application, weed control, field preparation, crop cooling, harvesting, dust suppression, and leaching salts from the root zone. Estimates of irrigation withdrawals are generally accounted for at the point of diversion (wells, springs, streams, ponds) and include water that is lost in conveyance prior to application on fields, as well as water that may subsequently return to a surface-water body as runoff after application, water consumed as evapotranspiration (ET) from plants and evaporated from the ground, or water that recharges aquifers as it seeps past the root zone.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.Center pivot irrigation system in Idaho. (Credit: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash) Irrigation of golf courses, parks, nurseries, turf farms, cemeteries, and other self-supplied landscape-watering uses also are included in USGS irrigation estimates. Irrigation water use includes self-supplied withdrawals and deliveries from irrigation companies or districts, cooperatives, or governmental entities. All irrigation withdrawals are considered freshwater. Some water used for irrigation is reclaimed wastewater from nearby treatment facilities or industries. Nationwide estimates of consumptive use of water withdrawn for irrigation were estimated for 2015 for the first time since 1995. Irrigated acres are reported by three types of irrigation methods: sprinkler, microirrigation, and surface (flood) systems.
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.)
For 2015, total irrigation withdrawals were 118,000 Mgal/d, which accounted for 42 percent of total freshwater withdrawals. Withdrawals from surface-water sources were 60,900 Mgal/d, which accounted for 52 percent of the total irrigation withdrawals. Groundwater withdrawals for 2015 were 57,200 Mgal/d.
About 63,500 thousand acres were irrigated in 2015, 34,700 thousand acres (55 percent) with sprinkler systems, 23,300 thousand acres with surface (flood), and 5,490 thousand acres with microirrigation systems. The national average application rate for 2015 was 2.09 acre-feet per acre.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Irrigation withdrawals, top States, 2015 [percentages calculated from unrounded values] State Percentage of
total withdrawalsCumulative percentage
of total withdrawalsCalifornia 16% 16% Idaho 13% 29% Arkansas 10% 39% Montana 8% 47% Colorado 8% 54% The majority of total U.S. irrigation withdrawals (81 percent) and irrigated acres (74 percent) were in the 17 conterminous Western States (west of solid line in map above). Surface water was the primary source of water in the arid West, except in California, Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, where more groundwater was used.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Both irrigation withdrawals and total irrigated acres increased about 2 percent between 2010 and 2015. Irrigation withdrawals for 2015 are 21 percent less than 1980, when withdrawals peaked at 150,000 Mgal/d. The use of more water-efficient irrigation systems continued to increase with 10 percent more irrigated acres using sprinkler systems in 2015 than in 2010. About 19 percent more irrigated acres were reported using microirrigation systems between 2010 and 2015.
Data sources
Sources of data for irrigation withdrawals and irrigated acres included State and Federal crop reporting programs, irrigation districts, canal companies, incorporated management areas, satellite data depicting cropland landscapes, and evapotranspiration estimates. Withdrawals were estimated using information on irrigated crop acreages by crop type and specific crop water-consumption coefficients, or irrigation-system application rates, as well as soil-moisture balance models. Estimation methods varied from one State to the next and sometimes between geographic areas within a State. Estimation methods ideally included adjustments for climate, system efficiencies, conveyance losses, and other irrigation practices, such as pre-growing season irrigation, salt leaching, or frost protection. Other methods for estimating irrigation withdrawals included extrapolation of sample data on crop water-application rates or power-consumption coefficients.
Category history
- 1950 and later: Irrigation
- 2000 and later: Some States have estimates for subcategories of Crop Irrigation and Golf Course Irrigation
Graphic of category changes over time
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Want to know more about irrigation water use? Follow me to the Irrigation Water Use website!
- 1950 and later: Irrigation
- Science
Below are links for other categories of water use.
Water Use in the United States
The USGS produces national estimates of water withdrawal and consumptive water use. Withdrawal estimates are currently being finalized for a 20-year period from 2000 to 2020 for the three largest water use categories nationally (public supply, self-supplied thermoelectric power, and self-supplied crop irrigation). Six additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining...Public Supply Water Use
Public supply refers to water withdrawn by public and private water suppliers that provide water to at least 25 people or have a minimum of 15 connections. Public-supply water is delivered to users for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes. Part of the total is used for public services, such as public pools, parks, firefighting, water and wastewater treatment, and municipal buildings, and...Domestic Water Use
Domestic water use includes indoor and outdoor uses at residences, and includes uses such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, flushing toilets, watering lawns and gardens, and maintaining pools. Domestic water use includes potable and non-potable water provided to households by a public water supplier (domestic deliveries) and self-supplied water use. Self-supplied...Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Water for thermoelectric power is used in the process of generating electricity with steam-driven turbine generators. Since 2000, thermoelectric-power withdrawals have been compiled by cooling-system type. Once-through cooling refers to cooling systems in which water is circulated through heat exchangers, and then returned to the source. Recirculating cooling refers to cooling systems in which...Industrial Water Use
Industrial withdrawals provide water for such purposes as fabricating, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting a product; incorporating water into a product; or for sanitation needs within the manufacturing facility. Some industries that use large amounts of water produce such commodities as food, paper, chemicals, refined petroleum, or primary metals. Water for industrial use may...Mining Water Use
Mining water use is water used for the extraction of minerals that may be in the form of solids, such as coal, iron, sand, and gravel; liquids, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The category includes quarrying, milling of mined materials, injection of water for secondary oil recovery or for unconventional oil and gas recovery (such as hydraulic fracturing), and other...Livestock Water Use
Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs. Livestock includes dairy cows and heifers, beef cattle and calves, sheep and lambs, goats, hogs and pigs, horses, and poultry. Other livestock water uses include cooling of facilities for the animals and products, dairy sanitation and wash down of facilities, animal waste-disposal...Aquaculture 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. - Publications