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TEN THREATS: FARMERS WASTING WATER?
A farm in Manistee County, Michigan using an irrigation system. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Land Use Institute)
In the Great Lakes region, farmers are one of the biggest users of water. They pump water from underground aquifers or from lakes and streams to irrigate their crops or water livestock. Agriculture has been criticized for its large withdrawals of water. Farmers say they want to be recognized in a Great Lakes water use agreement as efficient water users, but as Erin Toner reports… it's unclear whether that's true:
Michigan Farm News defends agriculture water use
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (.pdf)
Producer: Erin Toner
Release Date: December 12, 2005
Running Time: 4:26