Irrigation History

Nebraska agriculture takes pride in its irrigation history beginning in the late 1800s, and rightfully so. Nebraska is the largest irrigated state with over 8 million irrigated acres. Over 100,000 wells tap into vast groundwater reserves underlying the state, primarily the Ogallala Aquifer. Approximately 1,000 miles of irrigation canals supply water to 1.1 million surface water irrigated acres. The center pivot was invented in the state and four of the world’s major center pivot manufacturers call Nebraska home. And the University of Nebraska is home to the Daughterty Water for Food Global Institute. Water and irrigation make Nebraska agriculture what it is.

Nebraska’s irrigation history, though, is short in comparison to that of early settlers in Arizona. According to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, the Hohokam, an ancient farming people who were the first known settlers in the Phoenix metropolitan area, engineered the largest prehistoric irrigation system in North America between 400-1450 CE. The hand-dug canals stretched over 500 miles, irrigating 110,000 acres of farmland, and suppled crops and food for up to 50,000 people.  

Like today’s generation learning about the Hohokam, perhaps in 1,000 years, future generations will be learning about the irrigation achievements of Nebraskans.