Position Statements

Determining the Water Requirements of the Irrigated Landscape

As stewards of water resources, irrigation industry professionals rely on many tools available to efficiently irrigate a landscape. Determining the volume of irrigation water required to maintain a healthy, functional landscape that provides numerous environmental, ecological and cultural benefits is essential when developing an accurate irrigation schedule.

Water budgets provide an analytical framework for determining the minimum amount of applied water required to produce the social, economic and environmental benefits of an irrigated landscape. Determining the correct inputs to a water budget is a critical step in creating a meaningful and effective water budget. Inputs to the water budget must be tailored to local conditions and based on sound science.

The Irrigation Association supports the use of water-budget methods, along with measurement of the applied water, based on local and regional scientific data.

Adopted by the IA Board of Directors, December 2010.