WASHINGTON, D.C. – The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is asking producers to complete the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey. Responses are due Feb. 15.

NASS doesn’t conduct the survey to utilize the data, David Knopf, regional director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Field Office, told Farm World. The survey is conducted for the benefit of farmers and those that manage water, he noted.

“The objective of this survey is to aid USDA’s efforts to promote efficient irrigation practices and long-term sustainability of water resources across the United States,” Knopf explained. “High quality data on agricultural water uses will benefit public and private sector officials when managing this important national resource. The data will help to promote efficient irrigation practices and long-term sustainability of water resources across the country.”

The data will be used in several ways, he said, including by the Natural Resources Conservation Service to plan and evaluate a national water conservation program. Irrigation system manufacturers and related businesses may use the data to monitor trends in equipment use, irrigation expansion and other market production-related activities, Knopf said.

Land grant universities and other research organizations use the data to study irrigation technology development and adoption rates to promote agricultural productivity, he said.

NASS said it began mailing survey codes to irrigators in all states on Nov. 17. The mailings include an invitation to respond online to the survey at www.agcounts.usda.gov. The survey will be mailed in phases, with paper questionnaires following in January, according to the agency. Producers only need to respond once, whether through the mail or online, NASS said. Responding to the survey is required by law.

Among the questions on the 20-page survey are those asking producers if they irrigate using ground water from wells, on-farm surface water or off-farm water. It asks about pumps used for irrigation and expenses. It asks about expenditures for irrigation infrastructure. Producers are asked about water distribution methods and sources used in the open. It asks about labor used for irrigation and the gross value of all agricultural products sold by the operation. All answers are confidential.

The last Irrigation and Water Management Survey was conducted in 2018, Knopf said. The response rate was 64.4 percent. The survey is done every five years.

He said NASS hopes to learn such things as measures of area irrigated by land use, sources of water, methods of irrigation and equipment used. The survey is the only nationwide study of irrigation, and will be a uniform source of irrigation information across the country. NASS will also learn about trends in irrigation, Knopf said.

“Any business does not operate independently, but works with a number of suppliers and markets,” he pointed out. “In addition to the needs of the individual producer, these other business partners need to have data to advise them on how to best serve the producer community. By reporting to this survey, the producers will benefit from the services, research, and policy that business partners provide.”