A New Era for Irrigation (1996) / Chapter Skim
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SUMMARY
SUMMARY
Pages 1-7
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The United States is now facing a time of changing public values and new demands, however, and irrigators feel a combination of pressures today unlike any time in the past. The availability of water has been, and is likely to remain, the principal determinant of the status of irrigation in the western United States and is becoming increasingly important to irrigation in eastern states as well.
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· Irrigation systems and management will continue to evolve, moving toward advanced technologies that provide better water control. · The ability of states, Indian tribes, and individual water users to market water will be central to increasing the flexibility of water allocation, whether for irrigation or nonirrigation uses, and thus is key to the future of irrigation in the United States.
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From page 3... ...
Understanding irrigation in its cultural context can help identify new approaches to problem-solving, combining new technologies and business practices with traditional technologies and approaches, as necessary, to respond to changing local, national, and global situations. FORCES OF CHANGE AND RESPONSES The principal determinants of the profitability of irrigated agriculture and, therefore, its future are: the overall state of the agricultural economy and markets for agricultural products; the benefits of irrigated farming relative to dryland farming (e.g., consistent high quality production)
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From page 4... ...
At the same time, shrinking federal budgets make the future role of environmental programs and conservation subsidies (e.g., the conservation reserve program, which provides payments to farmers for leaving highly credible land unplanted) increasingly uncertain.
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From page 5... ...
Overall, the availability and cost of water are likely to remain the principal determinants of the extent of irrigation in the western United States; they are becoming increasingly important influences in the southern and eastern United States as well. From discussions with a wide range of people involved in irrigation and water use, field visits, study, and debate, the committee concludes)
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From page 6... ...
· Given changing societal values and increasing competition for water, the amount of water dedicated to agricultural irrigation will decline. The availability and cost of water to the farmer are likely to remain the principal determinants of the extent of irrigation in the western United States; these factors are becoming increasingly important influences in the southern and eastern states as well.
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From page 7... ...
Federal support for research and development of new irrigation technologies will remain important, but with the continuing pressure to reduce federal expenditures, more leadership and funding for research and development will have to come from the private sector and through partnerships between irrigators, the private sector, and state and federal researchers. The federal government has important trust responsibilities in resolving the water rights of Indian tribes, and federal funding and commitment to this process is necessary to resolve unsettled tribal claims and reduce tensions over the future of tribal irrigation and the availability of tribal water, whether through transfers or other arrangements, for use by irrigators or other users.
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