A new era for irrigation / Committee on the Future of Irrigation in the Face of Competing Demands, Water Science and Technology Board, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on the Future of Irrigation in the Face of Competing Demands.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Irrigation--United States.

Irrigation.

Irrigation farming--United States.

Irrigation farming.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (213 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1996.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Irrigated agriculture has played a critical role in the economic and social development of the United States--but it is also at the root of increasing controversy. How can irrigation best make the transition into an era of increasing water scarcity? In A New Era for Irrigation , experts draw important conclusions about whether irrigation can continue to be the nation's most significant water user, what role the federal government should play, and what the irrigation industry must do to adapt to the conditions of the future. A New Era for Irrigation provides data, examples, and insightful commentary on issues such as Growing competition for water resources. Developments in technology and science. The role of federal subsidies for crops and water. Uncertainties related to American Indian water rights issues. Concern about environmental problems. And more. The committee identifies broad forces of change and reports on how public and private institutions, scientists and technology experts, and individual irrigators have responded. The report includes detailed case studies from the Great Plains, the Pacific Northwest, California, and Florida, in both the agricultural and turfgrass sectors. The cultural transformation brought about by irrigation may be as profound as the transformation of the landscape. The committee examines major facets of this cultural perspective and explores its place in the future. A New Era for Irrigation explains how irrigation emerged in the nineteenth century, how it met the nation's goals in the twentieth century, and what role it might play in the twenty-first century. It will be important to growers, policymakers, regulators, environmentalists, water and soil scientists, water rights claimants, and interested individuals.

Contents:

A New Era For Irrigation

Copyright

Preface

Contents

Summary

THE CULTURE OF IRRIGATION

FORCES OF CHANGE AND RESPONSES

EXAMPLES OF CHANGE AND RESPONSES

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

NOTE

1 The Future of Irrigation

THE COMMITTEE'S CHARGE AND APPROACH

DEFINING OR DIVINING THE FUTURE?

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT

IRRIGATION: INDUSTRY OR CULTURE?

THE FUTURE OF IRRIGATION

REFERENCES

2 The Cultures of Irrigation

WHAT ARE CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?

CULTURAL ISSUES

Understanding the Culture of Irrigation

The Reclamation Ethic

Attitudes Toward Water

Institution Building

Cultural Heritage Within a Changing Cultural Context

Cultural Diversity

Cultural Conflict and Cooperation

Knowledge Systems in Irrigation: Past, Present, and Future

CONCLUSION

NOTES

3 Irrigation Today

IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE

Irrigated Land in Farms

WATER USE FOR IRRIGATION

Irrigated Crops

Water Withdrawals

Consumptive Use

Irrigation Technology

ECONOMICS OF IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE

Irrigation Water Prices and Costs

Value of Irrigation Water and Water Marketing

IRRIGATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Instream Flows and Wetlands

Salinity and Drainage

Water Quality

Climate Change

THE TURFGRASS SECTOR

THE SPECIAL CASE OF INDIAN IRRIGATION

4 Forces of Change and Responses

PROFITABILITY: A KEY INFLUENCE

State of the Agricultural Economy

Availability and Cost of Water

Available Technology and Management Skills

Costs of Other Agricultural Inputs

Environmental Concerns and Regulations

Institutions

UNDERSTANDING THE RELATION BETWEEN FORCES OF CHANGE AND RESPONSES TO CHANGE

FORCES OF CHANGE

Changes Related to Water

Withdrawals and Consumption

Value and Cost

Indian Water Rights

A Changing Economy.

Changes Related to the Environment

RESPONSES TO CHANGE

The Irrigation Community

Scientific and Technological Responses

Genetic Engineering

Conserved Water

Irrigation Systems

Irrigation Management

Current and Future Trends

Institutional Responses

Federal Level

State, Tribal, and Local Levels

5 The Irrigation Industry: Patterns of Change and Response

IRRIGATION IN THE GREAT PLAINS: TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH DWINDLING GROUND WATER

Characteristics of Irrigation in the Great Plains

Forces of Change and Responses

Conservation

Transition to Dryland Farming

Adjustments in Technology

Regulations, Incentives, and Institutions

Conclusion

IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE IN CALIFORNIA: UNCERTAINTY AND CONFLICT IN THE FACE OF CHANGING DEMANDS

Characteristics of Irrigation in California

Environmental Issues

Water Supplies

Urban Expansion

Rising Costs

IRRIGATION IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS, TRIBAL TREATY RIGHTS AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

Characteristics of Irrigation in the Northwest

Competing Uses, Environmental Concerns, and Treaty Rights

Regional Institutional Processes and Responses

IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE IN FLORIDA: INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION

Characteristics of Irrigation in Florida

Water Supply Issues

6 Future Directions

CONCLUSION 1

Future Directions

CONCLUSION 2

CONCLUSION 3

CONCLUSION 4

CONCLUSION 5

CONCLUSION 6

CONCLUSION 7

CONCLUSION 8.

Future Directions

CONCLUSION 9

Future Directions:

FINAL THOUGHTS

Appendix A Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

Appendix B Acknowledgments

Appendix C Glossary

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786610193028

9780309175753

0309175755

9781280193026

1280193026

9780309588300

0309588308

9780585026374

0585026378

OCLC:

42329228