Estimation of excess water use in irrigated agriculture: A Data Envelopment Analysis approach

Overpumping of the Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas due to expansion of irrigated agriculture is believed to have resulted in reductions in water storage volumes and drops in the water table in several regions. It is widely agreed upon that water demand should be reduced through increases in water use efficiency to make irrigated agriculture in the region more sustainable. The existence of several terms related to the efficiency with which irrigation water is used, however, may be hampering the development of appropriate water conservation policies. In particular, while there has been an emphasis on increasing water application efficiencies of irrigation systems, little empirical testing has been done on the effects of such changes on water use efficiency.