Effects of agricultural irrigation on water resources in the St. Joseph River basin, Indiana, and implications for aquifer yield
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Abstract
During the past decade, the acreage of irrigated agricultural land in Indiana has tripled, causing public concern about competition for water and resulting in several State laws for regulating water withdrawals. The St. Joseph River basin represents less than one-tenth of the area of the State, but it contains one-third of the State 's irrigated land. Irrigated land in the basin is composed of permeable soils that are underlain by productive glacial aquifers. A computer model was used to analyze the effects of maximum irrigation withdrawals on aquifer drawdown and streamflow in a 16.5 sq mi area of intensive irrigation. Simulation of maximum pumping resulted in predicted aquifer drawdowns of one-fourth of the total available drawdown. Flow in a nearby stream was decreased by 40%. Areas of most intensive irrigation in the basin also are areas that have productive aquifers and well-sustained streamflows. Aquifer yield is based on the concept of capture - the volume of increased recharge to the aquifer or decreased discharge from the aquifer that results from pumping. The high rates of capture for aquifers in the basin supply ample water for present (1982) irrigation and for substantial future development. (USGS)
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Effects of agricultural irrigation on water resources in the St. Joseph River basin, Indiana, and implications for aquifer yield |
| Series title | Water-Resources Investigations Report |
| Series number | 87-4273 |
| DOI | 10.3133/wri874273 |
| Year Published | 1988 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Indianapolis, IN |
| Contributing office(s) | Indiana Water Science Center |
| Description | vii, 35 p. :ill., maps ;28 cm. |
| First page | 1 |
| Last page | 35 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Elkhart, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Noble, Saint Joseph, Steuben, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, cass, Hillsdale, Kalamazoo, Saint Joseph, Van Buren |
| Other Geospatial | Saint Joseph River Basin |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |