Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Clemson to lead statewide agricultural water use survey

Staff Report //March 12, 2018//

Clemson to lead statewide agricultural water use survey

Staff Report //March 12, 2018//

Listen to this article

Clemson Cooperative Extension agents are visiting agricultural operations across the state to better understand their water usage. The South Carolina Agricultural Water Use and Irrigation Survey will collect scientific data that will be used to aid state agencies, legislators, policymakers and others in making informed management decisions about water resources.

“Serving as the primary public service arm of the university, our Extension agents have developed close, working relationships with producers in every county of our state, and the trust they have earned from these farmers make Clemson Extension ideally suited to gather this important data,” said Tom Dobbins, Clemson Cooperative Extension director, in a news release. “This will be an unbiased, sound science-based report that will allow South Carolina’s policymakers to have the most accurate data at their disposal as they tackle future water decisions.”

To gather the data needed for analysis on agricultural water use and irrigation in the state, the research team will implement a quantitative survey tool. The survey has been designed by experts in their respective fields regarding water management and policy, agricultural water use, irrigation and agribusiness.

“Clemson is poised with its breadth of water resources researchers as well as skilled extension agents to undertake this much-needed Ag Water Use Survey,” said Jeff Allen, director of Clemson’s South Carolina Water Resources Center, in the release. “The information derived from the survey will be critical to statewide water planning and will assist producers, natural resource managers and stakeholders across South Carolina in important decision-making situations to preserve our state’s vital water resources.”

-