TAKEAWAY
Agricultural water optimization can save significant amounts of water, but much more technical support, financial support, and research are needed to guide these efforts.
On-farm improvements can reduce water diversions by about 15-20 percent.
There has never been a greater need for water in Utah. Record droughts and water bodies’ elevations are just a few artifacts of this need. The industry that feels the pain of drought more than almost any other is agriculture. Much has, can, and is being done to optimize water use in agriculture in the state. Optimization in this context is defined as maximizing value for each unit of water consumed. Measuring water consumption—which includes all loss and beneficial use for crop production—is extremely laborious, expensive, and difficultto scale. This needs to continue to be a major focus of future optimization efforts. Optimization options include improving conveyance systems that deliver water to the farm, and a variety of on-farm improvements in water, crop, and soil management.
USU research has shown that on-farm improvements can reduce water diversions by about 15-20 percent before crop production and profits decline. These improvements come at various costs ranging from about $5 to $25 per acre-foot of water per year. Prioritizing the options that are most cost effective will help protect and provide resiliency for Utah agriculture, and will help provide excess water for possible water banks to help fill the Great Salt Lake and other water needs. Further research and education on how optimization practices affect total water consumption, and how farmers can effectively participate in water banks that protect their water rights, will help build a more secure water future for Utah.
