Irrigation Water Use Estimates
Texas Water Development Board staff annually estimates agricultural irrigation water use for every county in the state. Irrigated acreage information is obtained from U.S. Department of Agriculture - Farm Service Agency records and local sources when available. Surface water irrigation diversion releases are provided by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regional Watermasters. Groundwater conservation districts assist by reviewing the estimates and suggesting revisions based on local expertise.
TWDB staff is responsible for providing data to assist regional planning groups in planning for future water supply and demand, including these agricultural irrigation estimates. TWDB does not have the authority to require producers to report actual irrigation water use.
Further Reading
- Report 347 on Surveys of Irrigation in Texas from 1958 to 2000.
- Report 378 on Irrigation Metering and Water Use Estimates.
Related Info
- TWDB also has high resolution scanned images of Irrigation Survey (inventory) Maps by county dating back to 1958. These maps were created by local USDA personnel approximately every five years through 2000. See an example of these historical survey maps.
For more information about these maps, or our annual irrigation water use estimates, please contact TWDB Agricultural Conservation.