Agricultural Water Security
Listening Session Report
USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics
(REE) mission area released a
final report from the September 2004
Agricultural Water Security Listening Session,
held in Park City, UT. The report includes four
removable maps that depict issues, interventions,
bold steps and potential partners for USDA’s
efforts in agricultural water security.
During the session, over 90 water resource
experts from state and federal agencies and
non-profit and private sector organizations
voiced their opinions on future directions
for research, education, extension, and economics.
Experts participated in targeted sessions
to identify strengths, opportunities, gaps,
and barriers in the current knowledge base
across six key areas of water resources management:
- irrigation efficiency and management;
- drought mitigation and preparedness;
- general water conservation;
- rural/urban water reuse;
- water marketing, distribution and allocation,
and;
- biotechnology.
Participants representing these six areas
identified how USDA can improve water resource
management, and charted a potential course
for research, education, and economics within
the six areas to increase water availability
for agriculture, human consumption, and economic
growth.
Agricultural water security is described
as the need to maintain adequate water supplies
to meet the food and fiber needs of the expanding
population—maximizing the efficiency
of water use by farmers, ranchers, rural
and urbanizing communities. Ideas from the
session will open doors to new directions
in water availability and management practices
to ensure water is put to the best uses.
To order copies of this report, please send
your name and surface mailing address to water@csrees.usda.gov.
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