WATER ~ 'TAIN'T YOURS, 'TAIN'T MINEJimmy Carlisle

Stakeholder Groups

Thermoelectric83 %

8,274 MGD

Live-stock<1 %

28 MGD

Aquacul-ture1 %

75 MGD

Irrigation2 %161

MGD

Public supply8 %

801 MGD

Residential<1 %

39 MGD

Commercial/Industrial

6 %550 MGD

Mining<1 %

28 MGD

2005 Alabama Water Withdrawals

Total withdrawals - 9,942 mgd

(almost 10 bgd)

1950195

2195

4195

6195

8196

0196

2196

4196

6196

8197

0197

2197

4197

6197

8198

0198

2198

4198

6198

8199

0199

2199

4199

6199

8200

0200

2200

4200

6200

8201

0201

20

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

Planted Corn Acreage - Alabama

In the East the Loss of Agriculture Devastated Rural Economies

Landowners faced with the competition of Western subsidized irrigated agriculture and deep water holding soils in mid-west resorted to accepting government set asides (CRP) or timber farming.

Land is now in timber or low intensity pasture.

When a farmer is farming he is turning over $500-$750 per acre per year which is part of the local economy

With timber production or CRP he is only turning over $50-100 per acre per year.

Rural towns dependent on farming business died out.

Economic Loss of Crop AcresAlabama (1950 – Present)

Corn 2,338,000 acresCotton 945,000 acresPeanut 215,000 acres

If we had retained the acres we had in 1950 to the present, even under rain fed yields, it would amount to a direct gain of $2.2 billion per year to the economy

Front PageSaturday, July 22, 2012

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Montgomery Advertiser Drought Articles

Friday, August 17, 2012

Montgomery Advertiser Drought Articles

Friday, August 17, 2012

Irrigated Farmland Acres in the South Arkansas 4.46 million Florida 1.55 million Georgia 1.02 million Mississippi 1.37 million Louisiana 954,353 Alabama112,819

Source: 2007 Census of Agriculture

Barriers to Expanding Irrigation

Lack of access to water

Lack of capital

Rented land

Age of farmers

Irrigation Investments

Alabama Universities Irrigation Initiative

Agricultural Water Enhancement Program

Alabama Irrigation Tax Credit Alabama Irrigation Summit

Best Management Practices Offered under the National Water Quality Initiative

Cover crops – keep soil in place

Peanuts growing in high residue Planting into high residue

Farmers are strong supporters of conservation programs, particularly those focused on assisting farmers in improving their environmental stewardship in a cooperative, collaborative manner, which not only rewards the bottom line, it provides numerous public benefit such as improved water quality, wildlife habitat and air quality.

Alabama Farmers FederationOrganizational Chart

Farmers Federation MemberI

County Board of DirectorsI

Farmers Federation Voting Delegates

IFarmers Federation Board of

DirectorsI

Executive Office

Alabama Farmers FederationPolicy Development Process

Members submit recommendations to the county Recommendations are approved or rejected at

the county annual meeting If approved the county recommendation is

submitted to our State Policy Development Committee

Members consist of the 20 member State Board of Directors, 67 County Presidents, and 17 State Commodity Committee Chairmen

Policy approved or rejected by our 500 member voting delegate body at our annual meeting

Alabama Farmers FederationWater Resource Planning

Committee Purpose:

Committed to comprehensive management of Alabama’s water resources, staying abreast of Alabama water issues and pursuing solutions to see that agriculture is in the best possible position for the future.

15 member committee representing all types of agriculture water uses.

Statewide Water Management Plan

Effort builds a consensus that there is a need for water policy

Assurance that water use policy will be in the best interest of the impacted stakeholders and the state

Input from all stakeholders Educate our members and the

general public

Statewide Water Management Plan

Need for accurate sound, scientific and unbiased research of ground and surface water

Adequate funding to collect data Encourage voluntary water-use data

reporting Increasing on-farm water storage

capacity

Statewide Water Management Plan

Any water management plan should include a comprehensive and long-range plan for irrigation needs.

Protecting farmers’ flexibility for changing agricultural production

Ensuring that water is available for agriculture in times of stress

Protecting Property Rights

Protects rights of landowners regarding groundwater

Oppose governmental action that would adversely affect agricultural production

Riparian Rights vs Non Riparian Rights