Verification of Irrigated Agricultural Land Acreage in 55 Counties in Florida, 2013–21

Scientific Investigations Report 2022-5098
Prepared in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Agricultural Water Policy
By:  and 

Links

  • Document: Report (590 KB pdf) , HTML , XML
  • Data Releases:
    • USGS data release —GIS data and tables pertaining to the agricultural irrigated land-use inventory for Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa Counties in Florida, 2016
    • USGS data release —GIS data and tables associated with irrigated agricultural land use survey in Polk County, Florida, 2016
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Collier County, Florida for the 2017 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Glades County, Florida for the 2017 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Highlands County, Florida for the 2017 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Martin County, Florida for the 2017 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Okeechobee County, Florida for the 2017 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in St Lucie County, Florida for the 2017 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Charlotte County, Florida for the 2018 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in DeSoto County, Florida for the 2018 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Hardee County, Florida for the 2018 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Hillsborough County, Florida for the 2018 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Lee County, Florida for the 2018 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Manatee County, Florida for the 2018 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use in Sarasota County, Florida for the 2018 growing season
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land-use in Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Sumter Counties, Florida for 2019
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land-use in Hendry and Palm Beach Counties, Florida for 2019
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land-use in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, Florida for 2019–2021
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use for Lake, Marion, and Orange Counties, Florida for 2020
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use for the 15 counties entirely within the Northwest Florida Water Management District, Florida, 2021
    • USGS data release —GIS shapefile and related summary data describing irrigated agricultural land use for the 14 counties fully or partially within the Suwannee River Water Management District Florida for 2020
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Abstract

In 2012, the Florida Legislature mandated that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Office of Agricultural Water Policy, promote an agricultural water-conservation program that would include a cost-share program and best management practices and that would aid the five water management districts in the development of consistent agricultural water-supply planning, assisting the districts in projecting future agricultural water needs and promoting consistency in water-use estimates among the districts. Beginning in 2013, the FDACS created a series of agriculture and irrigated land-use maps for all Florida counties for the purpose of estimating current and forecasting future water demands. These maps, produced and updated periodically by The Balmoral Group, were based on baseline data from 2010 and have been updated with a combination of satellite images and land-use data from water management districts in subsequent years (2013–21) to help create a statewide database of irrigated agricultural lands. The purpose of this multiyear cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the FDACS is to provide (1) a detailed geospatial database of verified irrigated field locations with selected attributes as ArcGIS shapefiles and (2) aggregated acreage totals by crop type for all or parts of 55 of the 67 counties within Florida. Ten of the remaining 12 counties were fully mapped by the St. John’s River Water Management District in 2015; the other 2 counties were not mapped because they contained very little irrigated agricultural land. Irrigated agricultural fields identified on The Balmoral Group baseline maps for each of the 55 counties were either physically observed by U.S. Geological Survey or were verified through water management district’s consumptive water-use permit database. A select group of counties were chosen to be field verified each year, concluding with a total of 55 counties in Florida field verified between October 2013 and August 2021. The results provided from this multiyear study can help increase the accuracy of irrigation water-use estimates for counties in Florida.

Suggested Citation

Marella, R.L., and Dixon, J.F., 2022, Verification of irrigated agricultural land acreage in 55 counties in Florida, 2013–21: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2022–5098, 31 p., https://doi.org/​10.3133/​sir20225098.

ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Methodology
  • Further Validation
  • Comparing Field-Verified Acreage Results and Published Acreage Totals
  • Summary
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Verification of irrigated agricultural land acreage in 55 counties in Florida, 2013–21
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2022-5098
DOI 10.3133/sir20225098
Year Published 2022
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston. VA
Contributing office(s) Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center
Description Report: viii, 31 p.; 21 Data Releases
Country United States
State Florida
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details