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May 6, 2004 North Dakota Irrigation Is Increasing Water use in the U.S. has been stable since the mid-1980s despite constant population growth, according to a survey conducted by U.S. geological survey researchers. The nation’s population has grown considerably since 1950, but surprisingly water consumption has remained stable. North Dakota State University water quality education program coordinator Bruce Seelig says this could be due to increased conservation methods as well as a changing economy. “The U.S. has been changing from an industrial based economy to more of a service orientated economy,” says Seelig. “We have also made efforts to develop better tools for conservation. Home utilities such as toilets are designed to use less water and be more efficient.” U.S. water use steadily increased from 1950-1980 to 448 billion gallons per day, but declined in 1985 to 399 billion gallons. Since then, it has remained relatively stable. North Dakota uses about 1.4 billions gallons per day says NDSU extension irrigation specialist Tom Scherer. Water for irrigation has remained North Dakota’s highest water user. North Dakota State Water Commission ground-water hydrologist, Rex Honeyman, says North Dakota water used for irrigation, industrial and municipal purposes increased by 9,540,727,200 gallons per year since 1991-1992. About 70 percent (6,801,009,840 gallons) of that is used for irrigation, 1,797,373,440 gallons for industrial and 942,343,920 gallons per year for municipal use. Scherer says there is about 250,000 acres of irrigated land in North Dakota. Fifty thousand acres of that total land is newly irrigated since1991-1992. “There has been a shift in irrigation throughout the United States in the last few years,” Scherer says. “We have seen a loss of irrigated land in the West, but major increases in the East.” Half of the state’s irrigation supply comes from surface water, mainly rivers, while the other half comes from aquifers or ground water sources. North Dakota’s water derives from five water basins – the Missouri River, James River, Red River, Souris River and Devils Lake basins. Irrigation accounts for approximately 50 percent of water used in all basins with the exception of the Devils Lake basin. Twenty-four percent of its water is used for irrigation while 53 percent is used for municipal use. ### Sources:
Bruce Seelig (701) 231-8690, bseelig@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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