In Utah, only two percent of land is used for farming. Despite this small number, the majority of Utah’s water goes to irrigating crops.
“We’re probably at 90 percent or over 90 percent of the water use for Utah is for irrigation,” said Niel Allen, irrigation specialist at Utah State University. “Irrigation is the big water user and agriculture irrigation is the biggest portion of that.”
Allen’s research focuses on helping farmers across Utah use water as effectively as possible.
He’s studying crops like alfalfa, which needs less water, and working to get information to farmers about efficient water use, including improved management practices and system improvements. He’s also looking into simply using less water on crops.
“One thing that I’ve been working on is deficient irrigation, meaning irrigating less than the crop would normally need,” Allen said. “That’s important to help farmers through a drought and in managing their water. Yield is pretty dependent on having adequate water and so deficient irrigation is just how to get the most crop with the limited amount of water.”
Although irrigation uses the majority of Utah’s water, Allen says that because of Utah’s growing population, agriculture and urban areas must work together.
“I think as agriculture and urban areas work together, we can move forward and enjoy the things we enjoy today. As we move into the future, even with changes in water supply and changes in population and as Utah grows, we need to be adaptable,” Allen said. “We need to make do with what water we have.”
Allen says that people can focus more on watering their vegetables rather than their lawns to reduce water use.