ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the historical development of irrigation systems in the United States (US) by looking at governmental involvement and at US water law. It presents the three levels of American irrigation organization and examines their relationship to each other. The three levels are: The Main System, Local Command Area Level and Farm Level. The chapter provides the suggestions for promoting efficiency and incentives for participation. It considers a discussion of the major contemporary problems facing irrigated agriculture in the nation and discusses some potential solutions for dealing with these problems. The belief that an adequate and reliable supply of water will result from farmer participation in the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of irrigation schemes is a major influence on the decision to participate. The state requires that groundwater usage must be reduced by one acre-foot for each acre-foot of Central Arizona Project (CAP) water a farmer receives, and prohibits the irrigation of any new farmland with CAP water.
