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Abstract
In 2018, 40 percent of all water applied to irrigated cropland came from an off-farm water source. Irrigation districts, ditch companies, acequias, and other water delivery organizations use infrastructure such as canals, reservoirs, and turnouts to transport, store, and deliver off-farm water to farms and ranches. This infrastructure is a critical part of an organization’s ability to meet the water needs of irrigated agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2019 Survey of Irrigation Organizations is a nationally representative review of the water management organizations that deliver water to farms or influence on-farm groundwater use. This report leverages these survey data to provide an overview of the vital irrigation infrastructure owned and managed by water delivery organizations.