Introduction 
PURPOSE AND SCOPE 
Selected irrigation data for on-farm irrigation 
operations have been collected in the census of 
agriculture since 1890. Surveys of irrigation in 
humid areas were taken in connection with the 1954 
and 1959 censuses. 
The 2013 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey (FRIS) 
is the eighth survey devoted entirely to collecting on- 
farm irrigation data for the U.S. The 1979, 1984, 
1988, and 1994 surveys were conducted by the U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. 
Responsibility for the survey was transferred from 
the Bureau of the Census to the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics 
Service (NASS) in 1997. The 1998 survey utilized 
the resources of the 45 NASS field offices which 
expanded opportunities for telephone follow-up or 
personal enumeration of nonresponse cases. The 
1998 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey was the first 
survey to collect and publish data for each of the 50 
States. Previous farm and ranch irrigation surveys 
published data only for leading irrigation States, with 
a U.S. total, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. In 2008, 
horticultural specialty operations with sales of 
$10,000 or greater were included in the survey for 
the first time. 
USES OF SURVEY DATA 
The 2013 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 
provides data that supplement the basic irrigation 
data collected from all farm and ranch operators in 
the 2012 Census of Agriculture. Irrigation data from 
this survey combined with 2012 census data provide 
one of the most complete and detailed profiles of 
irrigation in the U.S. 
Survey data are used by producers, farm 
organizations, businesses. State departments of 
agriculture, elected representatives and legislative 
2012 Census of Agriculture 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
bodies at all levels of government, public and private 
sector analysts, the news media, and colleges and 
universities. The data are used to: 
• Compare water use by application method; 
• Develop improved technologies; 
• Develop Federal programs; 
• Appraise water use trends; 
• Assess impact of congressional legislation; and 
• Evaluate the impact of irrigated crops by State. 
AUTHORITY 
The census of agriculture is required by law under 
the “Census of Agriculture Act of 1997," Public Law 
105-113 (Title 7, United States Code, Section 
2204g). The law authorizes the Secretary of 
Agriculture to conduct surveys deemed necessary to 
furnish annual or other data on the subjects covered 
by the census. The 2013 Farm and Ranch Irrigation 
Survey was conducted under the provisions of this 
section. 
FARM DEFINITION 
A farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of 
agricultural products were produced and sold, or 
normally would have been sold, during the census or 
survey year. 
DATA COMPARABILITY 
In Tables 2 through 39, the State level FRIS data are 
not comparable between 2013 and 2008. In the 2008 
survey, operations that reported any horticultural 
sales in the 2007 Census of Agriculture were not 
included in the General FRIS data tables. In the 2013 
survey, operations with horticultural sales in the 
2012 Census of Agriculture were included in all 
FRIS tables. 
Introduction V 
