Giving Compass' Take:

· Although required to report consumption, water usage on California's farms is still unclear. According to News Deeply, the process was disrupted and the policy wasn't enforced, leaving high, undocumented consumption of this valuable resource.

· Why is it important to record the amount of water used in agriculture? How does return flow from irrigation systems affect the surrounding bodies of water? 

· To reduce the high water usage of our current agricultural practices, we need collaborative efforts between supermarkets and farming practices.

A new program in California aimed at tracking agricultural water consumption is off to a bumpy start, highlighting the challenges of monitoring an industry that has historically enjoyed limited oversight.

Agriculture is the biggest consumer of water in the West, with many states using more than 70 percent of developed freshwater supplies for agriculture. So you would think state governments watch water consumption on farms carefully to look for conservation opportunities. In fact, some do not.

California generates more farm revenue than any other state. Yet until recently there was no requirement to report agricultural water consumption. That changed in 2007, when a new state law required irrigation districts to file annual reports on water delivered to their farm customers, beginning in 2012.

The program became known as “farm-gate” reporting, because irrigation districts must document monthly deliveries to the diversion gates where water leaves the district’s distribution canal and moves onto private farmland.

Read the full article about reporting water use on California farms by Matt Weiser at News Deeply.