Public Outreach: Amplifying the Value of Irrigation

The use of agricultural irrigation is becoming increasingly more important as the changing climate ushers in longer growing seasons, higher temperatures and less natural rainfall, and as increasing policies regulate water usage.

“We don’t have to look far or hard to understand the role of irrigation in everyday life,” says Luke Reynolds, the Irrigation Association’s associate director of government and public affairs. “In 2023, farms using irrigation accounted for roughly 58 million irrigated acres across the U.S., yielding the bulk of the nation’s produce, grains and fiber. Those irrigated fields are why Americans can shop for groceries, fuel their cars and fill their closets — making this infrastructure an essential link in the supply chain.”

Globally, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that by 2050, 60% more food will be needed to feed the growing global population. While demand for agricultural water is growing, access to it is shrinking. In some regions, public policy and regulatory pressures are making it harder for producers to access the water they need.

In California, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, enacted in 2014, has dramatically changed the state’s agriculture industry. Farms that once had access to three or four acre-feet per year of groundwater for irrigation are now limited to half an acre-foot or less, explains Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition.

“We’re seeing consolidation in the industry where now they only have water for 20 acres when it used to be 75 to 100,” he says. “We’re seeing farms going out of business. There are estimates that half to 1 million acres of land will be taken out of food production in the next 20 years or so.”

In an era of water scarcity, climate variability and shifting public policy, agricultural irrigation is often at the center of conversation — but not always with a complete understanding. That’s why industry experts, nonprofits and water experts are working to reframe irrigation not as a drain on resources but as a key to long-term sustainability and food security.

“Irrigation is essential for high-yield agriculture in many regions of the world, but limited amounts of water are available, making efficient irrigation critical,” says Frances Hayes, director of communications and public relations at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska. “Expanding irrigation, whether in the U.S. or globally, necessitates considering competing demands on water. This nuanced complexity underscores the importance of our work in developing productive and sustainable agricultural systems to effectively balance water needs.”

From Capitol Hill to rural town halls, industry leaders and organizations are working to find viable solutions and bring awareness to the critical need for agricultural water use and sustainable irrigation practices.

Here’s a look at advocacy campaigns, public affairs initiatives and outreach strategies aimed at increasing awareness of water conservation and the importance of agricultural irrigation.

Top challenges and policy pressures

Ongoing support from federal, state and local programs is critical for making precision irrigation and other conservation technologies attainable across the industry.

“Securing the resources and incentives for farmers to adopt the latest water efficient technologies is a major challenge,” says Reynolds. “When margins are tight and equipment costs are high, many farms don’t have the upfront capital to make these improvements.”

Finding the best solution requires context and an approach tailored to the area. The one-size-fits-all approach to water policy doesn’t reflect the reality of agriculture across the United States, according to Reynolds.

“What works for a vegetable grower in California might not apply to a peanut farmer in Georgia or a soybean producer in Nebraska,” he says. “Crops, climates and growing conditions vary wildly, and policies must be flexible enough to recognize those differences. Tailored regional approaches are necessary to support both productive farms and long-term water conservation across the country.”

Hayes agrees, adding, “Expanding irrigation, whether in the U.S. or globally, necessitates considering competing demands on water. This nuanced complexity underscores the importance of our work in developing productive and sustainable agricultural systems to balance water needs effectively.”

Overcoming common misconceptions

Despite its importance, irrigation is often misunderstood, particularly when it comes to water use efficiency. One common misunderstanding is that on-farm irrigation is inherently wasteful. Farmers and irrigators have every incentive to use water wisely — every drop saved is resources conserved, and every efficiency gained supports long-term productivity, Reynolds notes.

“Irrigators understand the value of water better than anyone, and the investments they make in precision equipment and best practices reflect that,” he says. “The idea that agriculture doesn’t care about water conservation simply doesn’t match the reality on farms across the country.”

Wade adds that public and policymaker perceptions often fail to account for California’s unique production environment. It’s one of only five Mediterranean climate zones in the world, meaning that California is the only U.S. state with suitable growing conditions for specific crops. That can include some vegetables and specialty crops that California is known for producing, which account for over 99% of the nation’s production of certain crops.

“When we stop growing something on an acre of land in California, it’s hard to replace that, because there’s nowhere else in the country that we can produce like we do here in the state,” Wade says. “When we stop producing a specific crop here, it doesn’t automatically happen somewhere else, and so we end up competing with other buyers around the world for the crops that we want here, that we used to be able to grow here.”

Telling the value of irrigation

Educating stakeholders is critical to changing the narrative around irrigation. That means drawing a direct line between irrigation and the things people rely on daily.

“We focus on connecting the reality of farming and irrigation to everyday life — from the food in the grocery aisle to the fibers used for clothes at the local mall,” Reynolds says.

Through the July Smart Irrigation Month initiative, the IA’s annual Advocacy Summit and ongoing efforts with lawmakers, the IA works to highlight how efficiently managed water allows growers to produce the food, fuel and fiber that Americans need every day.

“It’s a message that goes beyond agriculture,” Reynolds says. “Growers who depend on irrigation support a strong, resilient domestic supply chain. The more people understand that the produce, clothing and goods they use are rooted in responsible water management, the more support we can build for policies that sustain agriculture and communities across the country.”

Wade agrees, adding that the goal is to ensure adequate — not unlimited — water and to ensure that stakeholders understand the impact of changing policies and regulations.

“We don’t expect unlimited water supplies for agriculture, but we do expect sufficient water to grow crops on the available land that’s suitable for farming in California,” Wade says. “Right now, that’s not happening. We’re seeing regulations that were adopted 20 or 30 years ago for specific purposes that, since that time, have been found scientifically not to deliver the benefits they were intended to deliver.”

The California Farm Water Coalition is advocating for regulations like that to be taken off the books. One example is a San Francisco Bay regulation that requires a certain level of salinity for the Delta smelt.

“Since the regulation went into effect, there’s been no correlation found between the salinity levels and the survivability of the Delta smelt,” he says. “Yet we still release stored water that we’ve captured in reservoirs for domestic purposes — for agriculture and for other environmental needs — to push the salt line west out through the San Francisco Bay, to maintain this regulatory requirement that doesn’t do anything to benefit the species.”

It’s important to educate communities, policymakers and end users on the value of agricultural irrigation because it’s one piece of the solution, Hayes adds.

“As competition for water resources continues to grow among agriculture, industry, urban areas and environmental needs, educating people on the value and proper use of agricultural irrigation is vital for a strong and stable agricultural sector, while also protecting our water resources,” she says. “By using precision irrigation, smart water management and other sustainable farming practices, we can significantly improve both water and food security.”

Katie Navarra is a freelance writer in Mechanicville, New York, and can be reached at ktnavarra@gmail.com.