• 1930s

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    ALABAMA ROW CROP DECLINE

    Starting in the 1930’s, the number of farms in Alabama agriculture started to decline and the loss of acres in row crop production has steadily decreased.

  • NATIONAL CORN PRICE

    Improvements in transportation created a national price for corn in the 1950’s.  Unfortunately, at the corn price set by Midwestern yields, Alabama farmers were non-competitive.

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    1950s

  • 2000

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    DROUGHT HITS ALABAMA

    Major drought in Alabama caused farmers to question the Drought Monitor classifications (tied to crop insurance and emergency programs) leading to the question: Why not irrigate?

  • FORMATION OF AUII

    The multi-university initiative was established as a comprehensive study of the benefits and possible issues with expanding irrigation in Alabama.

    2003

  • May 2003

    AEDP MEETING

    Project leaders met with Alabama Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) and Alabama Power about economic development through irrigation and the power needs of irrigation.

  • ALFA MEETING

    Project leaders presented to Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) and were encouraged when the ALFA President, Jerry Newby, voiced his support of the irrigation initiative.

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    September 2003

  • 2006

    NOAA GRANTS

    University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH) was awarded two research grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) totaling $1.5 million, which allowed AUII to coalesce.  UAH subcontracted out a large amount of this funding to partner universities, including Auburn University.

  • ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

    An in-depth cost benefit analysis for irrigation in Alabama was performed.

    2007

  • 2007

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    REGIONAL GROUND AND SURFACE WATER ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

    This program identified areas in which protecting or improving water quality or water quantity, or both, was a priority, and established a regional water enhancement program to improve agricultural water quality or water quantity.

  • ENVIRONMENTAL MEETING AT UAB

    The AUII convened an environmental meeting at UAB to outline the environmental issues related to expanded irrigation and listen to environmental concerns.

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    2008

  • 2010

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    UPDATED ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

    The irrigation production and cost analysis was updated with Auburn economists.

  • May 2012

  • AUGUST 2012

    ALABAMA IRRIGATION SUMMIT

    The Summit was organized by Auburn’s Water Resources Institute and was held to bring together farmers, policy makers and water-use experts to discuss irrigation’s potential for enhancing Alabama agricultural output and revitalizing rural economies. More than 200 people attended the meeting and it was streamed to 33 other locations in the state.

  • FLASH DROUGHT

    Flash drought occurs in Alabama and the data is used to validated real-time irrigation models.

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    2012

  • 2014

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    AGRICULTURAL WATER ENHANCEMENT BILL

    This amendment to the Farm Bill helped make more farmers eligible for irrigation assistance.

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    August 2019

  • November 2021

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  • FUNDING AWARDED

    AUII has been awarded over $8 million between 2006 and 2022 in research related to the issues associated with expanded irrigation in the Southeast.

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    2022

  • December 2024

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