On The Map
- by Noel Gollehon
- 11/1/2006
Irrigation is a growing production technology
Irrigated agriculture is distributed across the Nation. While the West still has the greatest number of irrigated acres, regions in the East—particularly the Mississippi Delta and areas of the Southeast—now rival the density of historically irrigated areas in the West. Increased irrigation in relatively humid Eastern regions has heightened water supply concerns, especially during dry years and in locations experiencing fast growth in water use. Water supply limitations are no longer viewed as a “Western” issue in areas where irrigated agriculture is a major water user.
