What Are the Impacts of Corn-Based Ethanol Irrigation On Water Stressed Regions in the US Midwest?

Since the Renewable Fuel Standard has encouraged the development of biofuels, the US has seen an increase in corn production for conversion to ethanol. In many of these agricultural regions, increased corn production is accompanied with increased irrigation. Within the period from 2001 to 2020 it is estimated that 13% of the land in these 12 Midwestern states will undergo a change in land use/land cover type or crop type. A water use analysis will be presented that includes a regional baseline scenario of 12 Midwestern states responsible for 88% of the corn production. ArcGIS modeling is on-going at the 30 meter x 30 meter grid level to analyze the irrigation needs for future scenarios in 2020. Water stress indices provide addition insights into the scarcity of water and its potential site-specific impacts. The pros and cons of various Water Stress Indices will be discussed along with preliminary results.