WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two surveys released this year help illustrate the amount of irrigation used by farmers and ranchers nationwide. The first allows for a comparison of irrigation usage over time, while the second gives information on such details as cost and type of water source used.

The 2012 Census of Agriculture, published in May, shows the use of irrigation nationwide has remained relatively steady over the last four census periods – 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. In 2012, 55.8 million acres were irrigated and in 2007, 56.6 million. About 55.3 million were irrigated in 2002, and 56.3 million in 1997.

All of the states in this region saw increases from 1997 to 2012, though some states in some census years saw one-time dips in the amount of irrigation reported. For 2012, Michigan had the most irrigated acres – 592,000 – while Ohio had the least, with 47,000.

The amount of irrigated acres may vary by state for reasons such as type of soil and crops, climate and the history of irrigation in a particular state, said John R. Farner Jr., government and public affairs director for the Irrigation Assoc.

The Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey (FRIS), released Nov. 13, found 229,000 farms nationwide used some type of irrigation. Well over half of those farms – 136,000 – are 1-49 acres in size.

The Census of Agriculture is culled from information submitted by farmers and ranchers for the 2012 crop year. The FRIS covers the 2013 year and is based on a separate survey sent to a sample of those who reported using irrigation on their census questionnaire. Farmers and ranchers are required by law to participate in both the census and the survey.

More farmers and ranchers are showing an interest in using irrigation as insurance in case there’s a repeat of the 2012 drought, Farner noted.

“In those states hit hard by the drought, it really gave perspective to a lot of farmers and policymakers about the use of irrigation in those states,” he said. “Time will tell if that interest translates into increased use of irrigation.”

The Irrigation Assoc. represents manufacturers, dealers, consultants and designers of irrigation machinery, products and technology.

“If demand for their products continues to increase, farmers and ranchers will have another tool – irrigation – they could use,” Farner said. “Irrigation needs to be taken into consideration.”

The statistics derived from both surveys are used by federal, state and local agencies, legislators, producers, farm organizations and colleges and universities, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), which compiled the data.

“We want the best numbers and the customer wants the best numbers,” said Steve Sakry, an agricultural statistician with NASS. “The better and more complete (the results), the more accurately we’re able to tell a story about agriculture.”

Data from the FRIS of 2013 and 2008 are not comparable, due to different methodologies used for the two surveys, NASS said. Operations reporting any horticulture sales in the 2007 Census of Agriculture were not included in 2008 FRIS data tables. In 2013, operations with horticulture sales were included.

In the 2013 FRIS, farmers and ranchers nationwide reported expenses of $2.6 billion, or an average of $29,717 per farm, for irrigation equipment, facilities, land improvement and computer technology.

Average expenditures per farm varied greatly for regional states, with Indiana reporting a high of $76,389, and Ohio a low of $7,091. The variety of potential expenditures and farm size impact how much a farmer might spend to install or improve an irrigation system, Sakry said.

“Farmers may have an expensive expenditure that affects only a few acres,” he explained. “Or they may update a relatively inexpensive computer software package that will be used on thousands of acres.”

Farmers and ranchers nationwide also reported spending $2.7 billion in energy expenses to pump irrigation water in 2013, according to the FRIS. They spent $1.8 billion on electricity and $554 million on diesel and biodiesel.

Those who opted to stop irrigation since the previous census year offered several reasons for their decision, including sufficient soil moisture, a shortage of surface or ground water, loss of water rights and conversion of the land to a non-agriculture use or to an agriculture use not requiring water. Some reported they decided not to irrigate because they thought the practice was uneconomical.

“It’s all dollars and cents,” Sakry said. “In your heart, it’s disappointing to suffer through a crop loss (due to lack of water). But it’s an economic and business decision whether to irrigate.”

Groundwater, at more than 37 million acres nationwide, was the most popular source for irrigation, according to FRIS respondents. Second was water from off-farm suppliers (more than 14 million acres), and third, on-farm surface water (more than 6 million acres).

Regional irrigated acreage

From the 2012 Census of Agriculture, number of irrigated acres in the 2012 and 1997 reporting years, respectively, are as follows:

Illinois – 522,000 (2012) and 352,000 (1997); Indiana – 437,000 and 256,000; Iowa – 172,000 and 133,000; Kentucky – 74,000 and 60,000; Michigan – 592,000 and 407,000; Ohio – 47,000 and 35,000; and Tennessee – 146,000 and 47,000.

Nationally, Nebraska had the most irrigated acres – 8.3 million – reported in the 2012 agriculture census. California was second with 7.9 million and Arkansas third, with 4.8 million.