DATE: 1 May, 2026
SECTOR: Water Use, Irrigation
SOURCE: Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska
TOPIC: Current trends and future challenges in U.S. irrigated agriculture
SUMMARY: A national assessment examining how irrigated agriculture is changing across the United States and what this means for future food production, water management, and rural resilience.
DESCRIPTION: This comprehensive study from the University of Nebraska’s Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute provides a national overview of irrigated agriculture in the United States. Drawing on multiple datasets and geospatial analysis, it examines how irrigation is distributed, how crop and water-use patterns are changing and what pressures are shaping the sector’s future. The report sets out the role of improved water governance, precision irrigation and broader access to technology as producers navigate groundwater depletion, climate variability and rising operational costs.
Read the insights: New Study Details Changing U.S. Irrigated Agriculture, Viability Strategies
Access the full report: Irrigated agriculture in the United States
