ACF Stakeholders Governing Board Albany, GA – December 8, 2011

Mark H. Masters

Albany State University

Growth in Irrigation

A Snapshot Value of Irrigation

$400.00

$300.00

$200.00

$100.00

$0.00

-$100.00

-$200.00

-$300.00

Irrigated Non-Irrigated Corn $257.03

-$209.18

Cotton $246.29

-$128.10

Peanut $350.31

-$251.40

$31.18/inch $33.58/inch $57.31/inch

Caution: This is an average and irrigation is NOT a linear function

Lower Flint-Ochlockonee Planning Council

     14 Counties All or part of 13 HUC 8 Watersheds Ag irrigation is predominant use of water  658,561 acres Endangered species and critical habitat GA – FLA – AL

Farm Gate Value Lower Flint = $1.820 billion GA = $11.5 billion

Ag Tourism & Other 11% Poultry & Eggs 23% Livestock & Aquaculture 9% Forestry & Products 3% Ornamental Hort.

6% Row & Forage Crops 31% Vegetables Fruits and Nuts 14% 3%

Baker Calhoun Colquitt Decatur Dougherty Early Grady Lee Miller Mitchell Seminole Terrell Thomas Worth Farm Gate Value

$86,979,602 $75,711,348 $389,231,209 $206,547,141 $52,715,118 $88,973,708 $143,369,003 $59,348,004 $78,691,597 $266,507,069 $79,961,262 $61,448,617 $105,775,140 $122,447,414

Row - Forage

$38,298,500 $31,795,329 $50,013,893 $50,814,251 $9,856,438 $55,507,969 $16,910,334 $28,627,451 $48,734,639 $57,949,822 $48,351,178 $35,020,050 $31,006,949 $56,327,671

Vegetables

$103,630 $0 $108,046,592 $79,234,866 $159 $0 $4,565,779 $629,970 $5,193,565 $35,137,437 $7,709,923 $343,080 $4,435,986 $20,215,765

% Irrig Rel

53.3% 61.2% 63.5% 70.7% 57.8% 58.6% 18.1% 50.7% 68.2% 54.2% 64.8% 51.9% 38.3% 63.0%

% Ag Tax

68.0% 43.5% 15.6% 20.2% 20.0% 21.4% 28.7% 19.1% 42.1% 36.0% 28.7% 43.8% 25.6% 38.4%

Challenges/Opportunities

  

Tri-State Water Conflict

 Litigation  Negotiation

US Fish and Wildlife Critical Habitat

 Low flow criteria?

Regional Water Planning

 Consumptive Use Assessments   Gap Analysis Management Options

Milestones in Management

 Began issuing withdrawal permits for agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988

EPD Issues & Manages Agricultural Water Withdrawal Permits • • • • •

Required since 1988 Specifies location of withdrawal Types GW – Wells SW – Streams, ponds, reservoirs Well to Pond Irrigated field location NOT specified Change location and area each year Maximum irrigated area listed Withdrawal quantity NOT specified Change days of irrigation each year Maximum pumping rate listed

15,600 wells (blue) - Floridan and other aquifers 16,700 pumps (green) - farm ponds and streams * fall, 2008; includes current applications

Milestones in Management

   Began issuing withdrawal permits for agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988 Moratorium placed on new permits in SWGA (1999) Passed Flint River Drought Protection Act in 2000 –

in response to projected low flows

    

Flint River Drought Protection Act

An auction based program designed to temporarily remove irrigated acreage form production in order to protect streamflow Predicated on drought declaration from EPD Director in consultation with State Climatologist (March 1) Inaugural auction held March 15, 2001    33,101 acres retired from irrigated production Average bid: $136/acre $4.5 million paid to growers Auction held again in 2002   40,894 acres retired Average bid: $128/acre  $5.2 million paid to growers Major changes for Act after Flint River Water Dev. and Conservation Plan passed March 2006

Milestones in Management

    Began issuing withdrawal permits for agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988 Moratorium placed on new permits in SWGA (1999) Passed Flint River Drought Protection Act in 2000 –

in response to projected low flows

Passed Agricultural Water Use Program 2003 (metering) – establish individual reasonable use and

increase knowledge for planning

SWCC Installs & Manages Agricultural Water Use Meters   

Required effective July, 2009 Started installation 2004 SWCC manages installation Grandfather permits – SWCC installs > 2003 permits – owner responsible Field Locations Mapped Specific area and meter location Wetted area

 

Records water applied to field, not necessarily water withdrawn from source GW – Wells SW – Streams, ponds, reservoirs Well to Pond Georgia Forestry Commission Visits fields annually Records amount applied (acre-in)

Milestones in Management

      Began issuing withdrawal permits for agricultural uses of more than 100K gpd in 1988 Moratorium placed on new permits in SWGA (1999) Passed Flint River Drought Protection Act in 2000 –

in response to projected low flows

Passed Agricultural Water Use Program 2003 (metering) – establish individual reasonable use and

increase knowledge for planning

Passed Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Planning Act 2004 Lower Flint River Regional Water Development and Conservation Plan – 2006 – permit moratorium

Milestones in Management

 Water Stewardship Act – 2010

Milestones in Management

  Water Stewardship Act – 2010 Regional Water Planning Councils – current

Priority Management Practices

MCH UFL

• • • • • •

Support Tier 1 and 2 conservation activities Encourage point source discharges for major facilities Study new and/or enhancement of existing storage reservoirs Implement new and/or enhance existing surface water storage Utilize and improve upon

• • •

reservoir release operations Improve agricultural water use metering program Suspend irrigation only through Flint River Drought Protection Act Evaluate storage options in Upper Flint for supply and flow augmentation Advocate for changes to the Corps Water Control Manual

•

Improve water quality monitoring LFO

•

Continue improving ag water use efficiency through innovation

• • •

Evaluate reservoir storage options in Flint River Basin for flow augmentation Replace surface water withdrawals with groundwater withdrawals Continue enforcement of existing permits, regulations and implementation of existing plans and practices

Ag Management Options – Current and Future?

      

Conservation

 Irrigation scheduling, precision application strategies, conservation tillage, etc….

Flint River Drought Protection Act Emergency Powers Permit Modification and/or Revocation Augmentation Statute Changes Demand Management = Exposure to Individuals…To What End?

Mark H. Masters Albany State University Georgia Water Planning & Policy Center [email protected]

229-430-2900 x36

Drought Declaration Deadline Mid-Season Management?

Ich – 20% Ich – 30% Ich – 40%

IMPLAN Results

Direct

Output (1.25)

Total -$20,942,298 -$40,106,216 -$56,503,004 -$26,248,678 -$50,309,324 -$70,879,641 Multiplier

Employment (1.23)

Direct Total -282 -509 -710 -348 -632 -886 Spr – 20% Spr – 30% Spr – 40% Direct

Output (1.43)

Total -$22,745,048 -$55,756,953 -$78,573,824 -$32,536,097 -$78,949,839 -$111,457,973

Employment (1.49)

Direct Total -236 -738 -1,032 -351 -1,001 -1,408