Water Well Journal

January 2015

Water Well Journal

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The average depth to pump bowls was 145 feet, some 21 feet less than in 2008. The average pumping capacity in gallons per minute decreased to 722 gal- lons per minute in 2013, down 57 gpm, or 7%, from 2008. Pumping capacity was 844 gpm in 1998. Nationally, irrigators expended an average of $54.75 per groundwater irri- gated acre for operations with only acres in the open, while horticulturists nationally spent an average of $69.70 per groundwater irrigated acre for oper- ations with only horticulture in the open. Hawaii had the deepest average irri- gation well depth in 2013 at 436 feet. The state also had the deepest depth to water at 160 feet, and the deepest depth to pump bowls at 253 feet. Nevada had the longest hours of operation at 1975 annually in 2013. The shallowest average well depth in 2013 was found among Alaska's undis- closed number of wells at 80 feet, and North Dakota's undisclosed number were at 84 feet on average. In 2013, IRRIGATION from page 29 waterwelljournal.com 30 January 2015 WWJ Table 1. Surface Water/Groundwater Market Shares for U.S. Irrigation: 1970–2010 BGD = billions of gallons/day Total Water Surface Water Surface Water Groundwater Groundwater Year in BGD in BGD 2 Market Share in BGD 3 Market Share 1970 126 81 64.3 45 35.71 1975 141 84 59.6 57 40.43 1980 150 90 60 60 40 1985 137 91.3 66.6 45.7 33.4 1990 136.5 85.5 62.6 51 37.4 1995 149.9 94.9 63.3 55 36.7 2000 137 80.1 58.5 56.9 41.5 2005 128.0 74.9 58.2 53.5 41.9 2010 115.0 65.5 56.96 49.5 43.04 Average 135.6 83.02 61.12 52.62 38.90 Data: U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States. Reports for 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010. 2 Freshwater only 3 Freshwater only Table 2. Top Five States by Number of Wells Used Serving Irrigated Agriculture, 2013 2013 Average Average Gallons Pumping Capacity 2010 per Well 2013 2013 (discharge Groundwater Use per Day (using Number of Average Well Average Depth from well) in Billions of 2010 GPD and State Wells Used Depth in Feet to Water in Feet GPM Gallons per Day 2013 Wells Used) Texas 77,389 276 146 208 5.1 65,900 Nebraska 77,347 194 68 763 4.3 55,592 California 61,192 354 146 680 8.69 142,012 Arkansas 38,729 128 50 1362 7.38 190,554 Kansas 19,301 219 103 605 2.88 149,215 Nationally 407,913 229 90 722 49.459 121,248 Data: 2010 groundwater use from U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States, 2014. All other data are from 2013 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Bureau of the Census.

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