In response to that concern, the Department of State's Office of the Inspector General conducted an investigation of the potential conflict of interest. Allowing farmers some flexibility will maximize profits, as long as they stabilize overall water use. "[23], Since the 1940s, pumping from the Ogallala has drawn the aquifer down by more than 300 feet (90m) in some areas. aquifers including the Ogallala Aquiferone of the world's biggest aquifersfor . The Declining Ogallala Aquifer and the Future Role of - ScienceDirect crop yield. It accounts for 15% of all groundwater withdrawals in the conterminous United States ( Lovelace et al. To stay afloat, many farmers buy or lease more acres. Water levels have risen in some areas, especially Nebraska, but are mostly in decline. [23] In the United States, the biggest users of water from aquifers include agricultural irrigation and oil and coal extraction. The water is between 30 and 100 meters below ground, and the amount of water in the aquifer varies greatly from region to region. Before European settlers arrived, the billion acres of grasses that blanketed the High Plains were home to pronghorn antelope and swift fox, lesser prairie chickens and burrowing owls as well as buffalo. Deep aquifers are usually older and self-contained; they recharge slowly or not at all. The water-saturated thickness of the Ogallala Formation ranges from a few feet to more than 1,000feet. Groundwater depletion is a policy choice made by federal, state and local officials. Geodatabase Compilation of Hydrogeologic, Remote Winter, Mary and Foster, Cliff. Groundwater use in the United States | American Geosciences Institute Between 1900 and 2008 they drained some 89 trillion gallons from the aquifer equivalent to two-thirds of Lake Erie. Geology, 16(3), 203206. Much of the most agriculturally productive areas of the aquifer are facing risk of depletion by 2100due to drought, farm irrigation and decades-long over-allocation. PDF The Ogallala Aquifer, the largest underground water resource for the U period [8]. Environmental groups are filing lawsuits to protect wetlands drained by irrigation. Stretching from South Concerned public officials turned to the U.S. Geological Survey, which has studied the aquifer since the early 1900s. Yet the majority of rural Kansans are excluded from the processes that will determine the long-term futures of their families and communities. The success of large-scale farming in areas that do not have adequate precipitation and do not always have perennial surface water for diversion has depended heavily on pumping groundwater for irrigation. alluvial aquifers and [1] It was named in 1898 by geologist N. H. Darton from its type locality near the town of Ogallala, Nebraska. Each behaves as if it has a unique personality. Looming over these new demands for the Ogallalas finite water supply is climate change. The water flowing underneath is as good as gold for farmers in the region, serving as a lifeline in years when drought . of their efforts is the development of the Panhandle Regional Water Plan in collaboration (1988). and generally connected to surface water resources, are limited. the Ogallala aquifer have declined more than 70 feet in Texas County and more than Gollehon, Noel and Winston, Bernadette. to meet demands. As a result, Congress directed U.S Geological Service Report. If the measure fails, pressure will increase on state authorities to impose restrictions. Green squares are Texas aquifer is running dry, jeopardizing agriculture industry | The [20] One approach to reducing the amount of groundwater used is to employ treated recycled water for irrigation; another approach is to change to crops that require less water, such as sunflowers.[21]. Pipeline Review Is Faced With Question of Conflict, "Thousands rally in D.C. against Keystone Pipeline", "Trump signs executive actions to advance Keystone XL, Dakota Access pipelines", "Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis", "Authorizing TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P., To Construct, Connect, Operate, and Maintain Pipeline Facilities at the International Boundary Between the United States and Canada", "Keystone XL Oil Project Abandoned by Developer", "Keystone XL pipeline nixed after Biden stands firm on permit", "In Texas, a push to show farmers how to save water", USGS High Plains Regional Groundwater Study, A Legal Fight in Texas over the Ogallala Aquifer, Kansas Geological Survey information on the High Plains / Ogallala Aquifer, Rapid Recharge of Parts of the High Plains Aquifer Indicated by a Reconnaissance Study in Oklahoma, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ogallala_Aquifer&oldid=1162591291, This page was last edited on 30 June 2023, at 02:15. What Happens to the U.S. Midwest When the Water's Gone? Some growers are joining Funk in moving to dryland farminggrowing wheat and other crops that do not require irrigation. Native American tribes who used the open plains for seasonal hunting retreated to river valleys to pitch their tents. Certain wells are now required to have meters. 2014. Aquifers are not underground lakes or oceans, but complex mosaics of sediment, fluid, and movement. It covers about 174,000 square miles. Soil sensors permit farmers to gather accurate information about the moisture level of their crops. Such programs should allow farmers to save groundwater while making ends meet. At first glance, farmers on the Plains appear to be doing well in 2020. What they found was alarming: yearly groundwater withdrawals quintupled between 1949 and 1974. Researchers are designing equipment that uses lasers to measure the turbulence caused by heat waves above crops. A main challenge is the reductions in pumping are among the world's most unique ecosystems, and today are one of the least known and underappreciated resources to the High Plains' population. But farmers are pulling water out of the Ogallala faster than rain and snow can recharge it. on managing demand. Please add such references to provide context and establish the relevance of any. What hangs in the balance is even more than the loss of livelihoods, communities, or an entire regions economyit is the character of who we want to be as a people.. Its deepest part is 1200 ft. (300m) and is generally greater in the Northern Plains. This is not true. But our research, which focuses on social and legal aspects of water use in agricultural communities, shows that farmers are draining the Ogallala because state and federal policies encourage them to do it. It is no secret that one of the worst droughts in 1,000 years is intensifying heat waves and megafires; that historic drops in surface-water levels coincide with historic spikes in demand as the region grows hotter, drier, and more populated; or that conflicts are escalating over who gets to use how much of what remains. Many people on the Plains would like to save the aquifers and share some of this groundwater with future generations. If spread across the U.S. the aquifer would cover all 50 states with 1.5 feet of water, If drained, it would take more than 6,000 years to refill naturally, More than 90 percent of the water pumped is used to irrigate crops, $20 billion a year in foodand fiber depend on the aquifer. Groundwater level has dropped 150 feet or more, forcing many farmers to abandon their wells. Depositional facies of the Miocene-Pliocene Ogallala Formation, northwestern Texas and eastern New Mexico. Well get to sustainability one way or another, but it may be sustaining an economy without the Ogallala Aquifer.. the cumulative number of irrigation wells drilled in each of the four major Oklahoma The Ogallala Aquifer serves farming communities in multiple states. Addressing challenges The Ogallala aquifer, the largest unit of the hydrologically connected High Plains aquifer system, is one of the world's largest fresh groundwater resources. Oklahoma Panhandle It underlies 175,000 square miles in eight states. NIFA Impacts: Saving the Ogallala Aquifer, Supporting Farmers 1976. Growing larger amounts floods the market, further reducing crop prices and farm incomes. Laurel-Wenonah aquifer. Estimating Groundwater Recharge Using the GARDEN CITY, Kan.A century after the Dust Bowl, another environmental catastrophe is coming to the High Plains of western Kansas. Figure 3. Derechos de autor 20102023, ASOCIACION THE CONVERSATION ESPAA. Limited water supplies from the Ogallala aquifer. A closer look at the change in the Ogallala aquifer water level from predevelopment Crop Circles in Kansas - NASA Earth Observatory Similarly, cattle drives in the 1860s and 1870s collapsed in a perfect storm of drought, overgrazing and falling meat prices. and the maximum water decline was 256 feet at a well in Texas. Paper 116. Hunting, ecotourism and dude ranches are other potential sources of income from grasslands. The greater the turbulence, the more water plants need. They dont want to leave their landand they shouldnt have to.. M. D. Smolen, Aaron Mittelstet, and Bekki Harjo (2012) Whose Water Is It Anyway? There is no benefit to mankind to keeping it unused in cold storage, Stone says. The number of irrigation wells in West Texas alone exploded from 1,166 in 1937 to more than 66,000 in 1971. [48] The local non-profit organization Ogallala Commons, named for the aquifer itself, which not only collaborates and supports the local communicates, also works to conserve the Ogallala Aquifer and the surrounding area. Offering lower rates for equipment that reduces water use and withholding loans for standard, wasteful equipment could nudge farmers toward conservation. The major differences are time and depth. Since the predevelopment period (prior to 1950), about 3,000 irrigation wells have The Ogallala Aquifer, the largest underground water resource for the U. S. Great Plains, has had a front row seat to very unique and drastic environmental changes . supply. The water level is particularly on the decline in Texas and New Mexico. Alluvial aquifers, which are shallower In practice, it caused the opposite result. Hence, it is not surprising that the largest decline in groundwater has been experienced A Texas law granting landowners unrestricted rights to the water beneath their property makes it possible for Pickens to sell groundwater from his 24,000-acre Mesa Vista Ranch in the Texas panhandle to metropolises as far away as Dallas and El Paso. To farm without groundwater, Funk has changed some of his methods. That's the biggest single-year decrease since 2015, according to the Kansas Geological Survey's annual report.. And while the aquifer is losing that foot of water, it's barely being refilled. Millions of years ago, when the southern Rocky Mountains were still spewing lava, rivers and streams cut channels that carried stony pieces of the mountains eastward. Luckey, Richard R. and Osborn, Noel I. Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer. In extreme cases, the deepening of wells was required to reach the steadily falling water table. Until recently, most of the region had no permanent settlements. One myth about aquifer decline is that conservative rural farmers are solely to blame for this self-destructive loss. At a scientifically determined threshold, the sprinklers turn on automatically. Meeting that goal will require better policy, public action, personal responsibility, and political leadership. Some consequences of aquifer loss are already visible in western Kansas, where I grew up and where my family has farmed for generations. US Farmers Are Draining One of The World's Largest - ScienceAlert 50 feet in Cimarron County since predevelopment. U.S Geological Service Report. More than half these native grasslands have been converted to crops, including nearly 25 million acres since 1982, according to a 2007 General Accounting Office study. Agricultural Water Management | Managing the Ogallala - Managing the Four decades of federal, state and local conservation efforts have mainly targeted individual farmers, providing ways for them to voluntarily reduce water use or adopt more water-efficient technologies. As it can be observed, the majority of irrigated fields were Irrigating wheat in western Kansas with mobile drip saves 30-60% compared to conventional sprinkler irrigation. groundwater resource, a mission that has continued. Today, only those who own at least 40 acres of land or substantial water rights can vote on aquifer policy, which means the people allowed to decide the fate of the Ogallala Aquifer include the . The Ogallala Aquifer, the vast underground reservoir that gives life to these fields, is disappearing. As the largest freshwater aquifer in North America, and one of the largest in the world, the Ogallala supports approximately 30% of all crop and animal production in the United States (Dennehy 2000). Irrigation is the largest use of water in the Panhandle. streams) contribute less than 2 percent [9]. During the next 33 years, most of irrigated fields switched to center-pivot geographic areas where groundwater has declined. Fact: KXL will Threaten the Ogallala Aquifer, Smaller oil pipeline to cross Ogallala Aquifer. Part 1: Withdrawals Exceed Recharge. The state of Kansas set up groundwater management districts to allow communities in regions of heavy water use to decide their own futures. The motivation to save water comes from the district's regulations on extracting water from the aquifer. August 10, 2012 at 11:14 a.m. EDT. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Environmental risks of the Keystone XL pipeline, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Great Recycling and Northern Development Canal, "Changes in Water Levels and Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2005", "Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred and third meridian", "The Historically Evolving Impact of the Ogallala Aquifer: Agricultural Adaptation to Groundwater and Drought", "Ogallala Aquifer Initiative 2011 Report", "Where the world's running out of water, in one map", "High Plains regional ground-water study: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-091-00", http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/16/3/203.short, http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1117&context=natrespapers, High Plains Underground Water Conservation District #1 (Texas), http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1337/pdf/C1337.pdf, "Groundwater declines are linked to changes in Great Plains stream fish assemblages", "Shrinking aquifer looms as big problem for farms", Column - Mansel Phillips: "Too many thirsty industries, not nearly enough water", "Another sign of long-term water worries", Jeremy P. Meyer, "Farmers' tower of power", "The Lessons of History No Longer Apply when it comes to Building Lakes", Groundwater Depletion in the United States (19002008), "Drop in U.S. underground water levels has accelerated: USGS", Texas Water Report: Going Deeper for the Solution, "Caprock Chronicles: The Ogallala Aquifer's long history, uncertain future", "Extreme weather just devastated 10m acres in the midwest. 2014. Or they can prompt us to rethink our relationship to one another and to the irreplaceable natural resources that we share. Future of food production hinges on water - Axios Some observers blame this situation on periodic drought. way to grow crops even during drought; however, larger and deeper wells were required The depth of the aquifer from the surface of the land, its reate of natural thickness, vary from region to region. While groundwater is a renewable source, reserves replenish relatively slowly. Agriculture and Irrigation Panhandle Regional Economic Development Coalition, Inc. Topic overview - Ogallala Water Gurdak, J. J, McMahon, P. B, Dennehy, K, Qi, S. L. (2009). Such devices may not save dramatic amounts of water, but in West Texas, where the Ogallala is in rapid decline, they are critical. Got to, he says. Corn, the largest crop in the U.S., had a near-record year, and farm incomes increased by 5.7% over 2019. Corporations reap the reward and spread distrust and division to do so. As Earth warms and droughts intensify, these pressures will only increase. Streamlined operations allow them to produce significantly greater yield using roughly the same amount of water needed four decades ago. which helps reduce direct evaporation and wind drift losses. area. We need guidelines to make sure that sustainably managed groundwater is distributed in transparent, effective, and equitable ways. 14 percent of the total aquifer area consists of irrigated acres capable of producing [30][31], Pipeline industry spokesmen have noted that thousands of miles of existing pipelines carrying crude oil and refined liquid hydrocarbons have crossed over the Ogallala Aquifer for years, in southeast Wyoming, eastern Colorado and New Mexico, western Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. It underlies 175,000 square miles in eight states. In principle, it was a good idea. irrigation systems and irrigated acres [11]. In many locations, the aquifer is overlain, in the vadose zone, with a shallow layer of caliche that is practically impermeable; this limits the amount of water able to recharge the aquifer from the land surface. Starting as hundreds of feet of silt, clay, and gravel eroded from the Rocky Mountains and laid down by streams millions of years ago, rainfall during this time produced an underground lake the size of Lake Huron. Nearly all springs and streams have gone dry. Thanks for reading Scientific American. 2012. Today his community in southern Kansas, 180 miles west of Wichita, is one of the High Plains areas hardest hit by the aquifers decline. to the high density of irrigation wells. The southern High Plains has an arid/semi-arid climate with rainfall amounts less

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