Accurate monitoring of water use is an important step in managing water resources in an efficient, sustainable manner. Irrigation is especially important as the largest consumptive use of freshwater in the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitor water use for irrigation at the national level, but many states have their own programs. Alabama collects data for irrigation, but there are concerns about participation and accuracy. We investigated the effectiveness of the program in southeastern Alabama for 2011 to 2015, with a focus on center pivot irrigation. The number of pivots increased by about 50 percent (461 to 712), but the number of pumps registered with the state remained the same (126), and water use reporting was consistently low at 50 percent. An attempt to match registered pumps with center pivots for calculating depth of irrigation applied to fields was obstructed by inaccurate pump location data provided on application forms and other issues. Recommended changes to the program include adopting North American Industry Classification System codes for identifying types of water use, adopting the USDA’s classification system for methods of irrigation, revising instructions about mapping pump and center pivot locations, and conducting workshops to inform farmers about updates and to encourage participation.

中文翻译：

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美国灌溉用水监测：阿拉巴马州的案例研究和实现可持续性的经验教训

准确监测用水情况是以高效、可持续的方式管理水资源的重要一步。作为美国最大的淡水消耗量，灌溉尤为重要。美国地质调查局和美国农业部 (USDA) 在国家层面监测灌溉用水，但许多州都有自己的计划。阿拉巴马州收集灌溉数据，但对参与度和准确性存在担忧。我们调查了 2011 年至 2015 年阿拉巴马州东南部计划的有效性，重点是中心枢纽灌溉。支点数量增加了约 50%（461 至 712），但在该州注册的水泵数量保持不变（126），用水报告一直保持在 50% 的低水平。由于申请表上提供的泵位置数据不准确和其他问题，尝试将注册泵与中心支点匹配以计算应用于田地的灌溉深度。对该计划的建议更改包括采用北美工业分类系统代码来识别用水类型，采用美国农业部的灌溉方法分类系统，修订有关绘制泵和中心枢轴位置的说明，以及举办研讨会以通知农民有关更新和鼓励参与。