Water+for+Farming

=Water for Farming=

Neolithic farmers started farming near natural springs, lakes and rivers. Often there was not enough water from rain to keep their crops alive especially for farmers in the fertile crescent. As fields spread in size, they faced a growing problem: how to get just enough clean water to their crops and animals?

They innovated irrigation systems of canals and dikes, and organized systems to share water and keep the canals flowing. Keeping these irrigation systems working without destroying the precious soil was key to their survival.

=**MP4U**= Major rivers like the Colorado River are drying up causing numerous problems. Watch this video to see how much water is used to supply the average American's daily life. Everything you consume has a cost in water!
 * Today, agriculture uses 70% of the fresh water we use.** Many farms use irrigation systems to bring fresh water to their crops and animals. With so many farms and our growing population, it is a problem to find enough clean water for us and our farms. It takes a lot of cooperation, hard work and innovation to manage water.

Meanwhile, we are struggling to protect our farms and cities from increasing floods. As we've seen here in Thailand, water out of control can be a major disaster.



Begin your research by exploring questions like these:
Where does agriculture today get its water from? How do farms that are farther from natural water sources like rivers and lakes get water today? How much water does agriculture use today? Do some kinds of agriculture use more water than others? What problems threaten agricultural water sources today? Can we use salt or brackish water for farming in the future? How does farming pollute our water?


 * Useful links to begin your research:**
 * **[|PBS lexicon of sustainability: Water]**
 * [|NPR: Salt blog post: Water Water Everywhere but not Enough to Waste]
 * United States GS information on irrigation and water use
 * Water is Life
 * How much water does it take to produce different kinds of foods?
 * FAO Spotlight on water use for agriculture in different regions of the world
 * NIH summary of pollution in agricultural runoff (rain or irrigation water picks up agricultural chemicals and flows into other water sources)
 * [|Water scarcity in Thailand 2015-16]


 * Possible innovations:**
 * **[|10 ways farmers are saving water]**
 * **Check out this age-old water-saving innovation that is making a comeback: Aquaponics**
 * **Can [|vertical farming]help decrease water use for agriculture?**
 * **[|Green Sense Farms, Chicago - Vertical Hydroponics Farm]**