Producer Perceptions on the Value and Availability of Water for Irrigation in the Mississippi Delta

Abstract

The agricultural production in the Mississippi Delta is threatened by the water level declines in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA). This study assesses the growers’ perceptions of the value and availability of water for irrigation based on data collected in a survey in 2012 in the Delta region of Mississippi, USA. The total cooperation rate for this survey was 79.3%. The results showed that 97.39% (448 out of 460) of respondents believed that water is important for farming in the Delta region of the MRVAA. Fifty-two percent of the survey respondents agreed that the major cause of groundwater depletion is agricultural irrigation water use. More than 50% of the survey respondents believed there is sufficient water in the Delta region, but it is not managed properly. The value of water for irrigation ranged from $463 to $690 per ha for corn (Zea mays L.), $399 to $615 per ha for soybean (Glycine max L.), and $223 to $336 per ha for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The majority of the respondents considered that there is a need for regulation of water use to protect the aquifer and ensure water availability in the future.