As population continues to increse in the US and around the world, there is an increasing demand for safe, reliable sources of water to meet the needs of the growing population. Farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are particularly susceptible to the growing pressures to provide more water to urban and urbanizing areas at the expense of water supplies in rural and agricultural communities. Agricultural water security is defined as the need to maintain adequate water supplies to meet the food and fiber needs of the growing population—maximizing the efficiency of water use by farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Drought and the reliability of water supplies for agriculture and rural communities historically have traditionally been linked to western states. However, issues surrounding agricultural water security have expanded beyond western states and now represent a national crisis. For example, water supplies for irrigated agriculture in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida are being consumed by rapidly expanding urban populations. Shifts in the allocation of these water resources could have dramatic negative impacts on the long-term supply of food and fiber in the US. In response to this potential crisis, Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman signed an agreement in 2003 aimed at promoting improved water management and rapid response to emerging water supply shortages in the West. This agreement highlights the need for expanding the research and education programs focused on better management of water resources. In response to this challenge USDA-NIFA asked Dr. Jim Dobrowolski from Washington State University to work with the agency and develop a strategy to ensure agriculture water security for our future. Dr. Dobrowolski developed a document that details important research and extension actions that should be taken to address agricultural water security. Concepts and programs identified here would be developed in cooperation with the USDA, Department of Interior, and land grant universities. The summary below highlights a proposed federal budget initiative to address these issues. What are the research needs in Agricultural Water Security? There is considerable scientific information regarding the efficient use of water for agricultural irrigation. Similarly, this program will focus on expanding the knowledge base of agricultural water security through research programs aimed at:

Pacific Northwest Regional Water Quality Coordination Project Partners Land Grant Universities Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Contact Fred Sorensen: 907-786-6311 http://www.uaf.edu/ces/water/ University Publications: http://www.alaska.edu/uaf/ces/publications/ Idaho University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System Contact Bob Mahler: 208-885-7025 http://www.uidaho.edu/wq/wqhome.html University Publications: http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Catalog/catalog.html Oregon Oregon State University Extension Service Contact Mike Gamroth: 541-737-3316 http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ University Publications: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Washington Washington State University WSU Extension Contact Bob Simmons: 360-427-9670 ext. 690 http://wawater.wsu.edu/ University Publications: http://pubs.wsu.edu/ Northwest Indian College Contact Dan Burns: 360-392-4328 dburns@nwic.edu or http://www.nwic.edu/ Water Resource Research Institutes Water and Environmental Research Center (Alaska) http://www.uaf.edu/water/ Idaho Water Resources Research Institute http://www.boise.uidaho.edu/ Institute for Water and Watersheds (Oregon) http://water.oregonstate.edu/ State of Washington Water Research Center http://www.swwrc.wsu.edu/ Environmental Protection Agency EPA, Region 10 The Pacific Northwest http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/ Office of Research and Development, Corvallis Laboratory http://www.epa.gov/wed/ For more information contact Jan Seago at 206-553-0038 or seago.jan@epa.gov
	Risk assessment associated with drought—links to global change Risk management for farmers and ranchers facing impacts of drought Economics of water supply and water conservation The role of water banks—environmental credit trading opportunities Development of drought tolerant or water conserving plant species for agriculture and landscaping Impacts of water reuse on downstream water supplies—does upstream efficiency lead to decreased supply downstream? What are the education need in Agricultural Water Security? Vast amounts of educational materials exist for improving water conservation and water management. Much of this information has not been adapted to local watershed conditions. Moreover, citizens often fail to recognize their role in advancing or threatening agricultural water security. This program will provide outreach and education programs aimed at: Understanding the limits of water supply in western watersheds Improved/expanded application of known/existing science for irrigation and water management through educational programs Place-based education—eliminating sub-tropical lifestyles in desert climates Educating water managers—impacts of water supply will be disproportionately felt by lower income families Educating landscapers—use of drought tolerant trees, reduce/eliminate turf and lawns, use of drip irrigation (instead of sprinklers), reuse of irrigation water Educating residential pool designers—how can we develop pools that serve the recreational need and minimize water losses Educating the public (adults)—public service ads, include water supply as part of the local television/radio weather reports, campaigns to convert toilets and showers to water conserving models Educating the public (youth)—building water conservation as part of the basic curriculum; "waterwise" school programs How can we best address the research and education needs for Agricultural Water Security? The USDA has proposed a new $15 million research and education initiative in support of Agricultural Water Security. The research component of this program will focus on expanding the knowledge base of agricultural water security by exploring solutions to drought, improved water management, and economics of water supply. The outreach/education component of this program will be conducted in cooperation with the Department of Interior. The goal of this componenet of the program is to educate citizens about the need to conserve water, the importance of water use in agricultural production, and the importance of place-based education for agricultural water security.
	National Water Quality Program Areas The four land grant universities in the Pacific Northwest have aligned our water resource extension and research efforts with eight themes of the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Animal Waste Management Drinking Water and Human Health Environmental Restoration Nutrient and Pesticide Management Pollution Assessment and Prevention Watershed Management Water Conservation and Management Water Policy and Economics
	NIFA is the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a sub-agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, and is the federal partner in this water quality program.

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HOME | About | Calendar | Contacts | Links | PNW Water Updates | Sitemap NIFA National Water Quality Program This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2008-51130-04734. all external sites will open in a new browser window page last modified on August 27, 2006