Much of the Colorado River's water is used for agriculture. A new study shows 46% of the water that is diverted is used to grow hay to feed cattle.
With chronic water shortages afflicting the Colorado River, discussions about how to cut usage have increasingly focused on a thirsty crop that consumes an especially large share of the river’s water: hay that is grown to feed cattle and produce beef and dairy products. In a new study, researchers found that alfalfa and other cattle-feed crops consume 46% of the water that is diverted from the river, accounting for nearly two-thirds of agricultural water use.
In the lower basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada, hay accounted for 57% of agricultural water use, with more water going to crops such as wheat, cotton, oranges, lettuce and broccoli.
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