The water is generally suitable for domestic use, stock watering, and irrigation without filtration or treatment. Two-thirds of the aquifer’s water lies beneath the Cornhusker State, which ranks first nationally in acres of irrigated cropland. Most recent (RSS) Most cited (RSS) Optimizing Ogallala Aquifer Water Use to Sustain Food Systems First Published: 14 February 2019. The darker the color, the greater the change.
That nearly 45 million-acre-foot decline in the Ogallala Aquifer equates to about 14.6 trillion gallons of water over 45 years. GO TO SECTION. Figure 1. Free Access. The depletion of the aquifer represents a change in the water balance … The Ogallala Aquifer has long been unable to keep up with these agricultural demands, as the aquifer recharges far slower than water is withdrawn. The large underground reservoir stretches from Wyoming and the Dakotas to New Mexico, with segments crossing key farmland in Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.
The remaining 19% of water comes from surface water (U.S. Geological Survey, 2008). The Ogallala aquifer is rapidly declining. Most of this groundwater is used in irrigation since 54% of the land within the Ogallala Aquifer … That's enough - if the average American uses, conservatively, about 69 gallons a day - to meet the Lone Star State's entire municipal water needs for roughly 20 years. Gray indicates no significant change. Underlies 117 ... – A free PowerPoint PPT presentation (displayed as a Flash slide show) on PowerShow.com - id: f1e6b-ZDc1Z Are the policy measures implemented in response to the Ogallala Aquifer depletion applicable to changes in regional water supplies that may result because of projected changes in climate due to increasing CO 2? Ogallala facts. The Ogallala Aquifer is a vital source of water since it supplies 81% of the water used in the High Plains area. Underlying 175,000 square miles across eight states, this aquifer drives agricultural productivity and identity.
Nevertheless, the issues of intergenerational equity should be addressed now when there is less pressure to decide one way or another. In its natural state, the High Plains Aquifer is, for the most part, of high quality. Ogallala aquifer—and the region it enhances. The aquifer currently supports nearly 30% of U.S. irrigated crops and livestock. Ogallala Water CAP Team Releases Special Issue Report Thursday, November 16, 2017 The NIFA-funded Ogallala Water Coordinated Agriculture Project (OWCAP) team, led by Colorado State University in partnership with the Colorado Water Center, has released a special issue about the Ogallala (High Plains) aquifer region. This map shows changes in Ogallala water levels from the period before the aquifer was tapped to 2015. It’s called depletion, and it occurs when the rate of water loss outstrips recharge (the water coming back into the system). Featured Series Introduction: Optimizing Ogallala Aquifer Water Use to Sustain Food Systems. Groundwater contamination in the Ogallala became an issue in the 1990s. Alert; RSS Feeds. The Ogallala, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is one of the largest underground freshwater sources in the world.
All Issues; Virtual Issues; Follow journal. It underlies an estimated 174,000 square miles of the Central Plains and holds as much water as Lake Huron. Table of Contents. Declining levels appear in red and orange, and rising levels appear in shades of blue. The Ogallala Aquifer. They know that if they do not conserve, the Ogallala Aquifer, the source of their prosperity, will go dry. The Ogallala aquifer region hosts diverse landscapes and ecosystems that are sensitive to human impacts. Aside from the obvious agricultural ramifications from the Ogallala’s depletion, recent studies have shown that groundwater depletion also has a severe effect on freshwater ecosystems in the region. It serves as the main water source for what’s known as the breadbasket of America — an area that contributes at least a fifth of […] Among the Ogallala states, Nebraska is an exception. Aquifer characteristics that impact policy. That’s what’s happening right now in western Kansas where some farmers aren’t able to get enough water for their crops from wells fed by the Ogallala Aquifer, which underlies portions of eight states, stretching for nearly 175,000 square miles from South Dakota to Texas.