Trends and Patterns of Water Use in US Cotton Production

In the wake of prolonged drought in the Western United States, cotton production has been targeted in the media as a significant contributor to water scarcity.  This analysis makes use of data from USDA's Farm and Ranch Irrigation Surveys to illustrate that cotton producers' use of water in the Western United States has decreased significantly over the past 30 years. Nationally, irrigated water applied to cotton fields fell 5% between the two most recent survey years.  The amount of water applied per bale of cotton produced fell 6%.  Contrary to media stories about cotton programs continuing to encourage over-use of water, the data supports a story of decoupling of farm program payments, increased adoption of improved irrigation technology, and regional shifts in production to reduce cotton's water footprint nationally and to significantly reduce pressure on water supplies in the West.