Irrigation Organizations: Organization Types and Governance

This report uses data from USDA’s 2019 Survey of Irrigation Organizations to describe differences between several types of irrigation organizations with different organizational structures: U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) projects, irrigation districts, incorporated mutuals, unincorporated mutuals, and other organization types. Irrigation organizations are private, quasi-public, or public institutions formed to coordinate the construction and maintenance of water storage and delivery infrastructure or to manage groundwater extraction. Some organizations engage in both where surface and groundwater resources are available. Organizations such as unincorporated mutual organizations tend to be smaller in terms of their assets, total farm acres served, and size of farms served, and also source less water from State and Federal water projects. Conversely, irrigation districts tend to be larger, include larger farms, and more frequently have elected boards of representatives rather than direct voting on issues.