It is a source of quality water, due to the natural filtration process through the porous or semi-porous rock/soil layer above the aquifer and provides invaluable nutrients for the ecosystem. Because it is difficult to make decisions regarding one resource when the decision makers are spread across different states, a national level organization takes charge and helps the different states implement policies and practices that best suit their situation with the Ogallala Aquifer. Often, permits for the state government allows for water withdrawal. However, evapotranspiration is at its peak in the spring and summer months when most precipitation occurs, so only a small percentage of this rainfall actually reaches the aquifer (Nativ, 1992, 26). This is not the first time that humans have pushed ecosystems on the Central Plains to the breaking point. Currently, there are thought to be over 20,000 abandoned and uncontrolled hazardous waste sites in the United States alone and that number grows every year (The Groundwater Foundation Website, 2008). And the pace is accelerating. All these species and life forms are dependent on groundwater. This articles outlines (although, not in depth) some of the key benefits of conserving the Ogallala Aquifer. The Ogallala Aquifer was filled in the ice age but is being used to irrigate the farms of the Midwestern U.S. at a rate far greater than it is being replenished. Understanding the Supreme Court's Sackett v. EPA Ruling, As Projects Decline, the Era of Building Big Dams Draws to a Close. It also contains information regarding its goals, and benefits that proposed conservation programs will help landowners. In order to use groundwater in Utah, one must obtain a permit from the State Engineer. The Ogallala Aquifer, the largest aquifer in the Western North American Region, is hosted in sedimentary rocks that were deposited in the Pliocene and Miocene geological time period which started 24 million years ago and ended 1.8 million years ago. However, unlike the Conservation Reserve Program, it does not require the owners to retire the land out of production. Texas aquifer is running dry, jeopardizing agriculture industry | The Kansas water experts provided . In New Mexico, water rights are based on the prior appropriation doctrine. It's easy to see when drought, farm irrigation and city taps drain the great reservoirs of the Southwest. The Ogallala Aquifer (OA), the largest freshwater aquifer in the world, is a main source of agricultural and public water supplies that has sustained economic development in the High Plains region of the United States for more than 80 years. Conserving the Ogallala. Kansas Ogallala Aquifer depletion among water quantity, quality issues Web. Central Valley Project Improvement Act aims to protect fish and wildlife habitat in the Central Valley region of California. Retrieved 11 28, 2015, from Harvest Public Media: http://harvestpublicmedia.org/article/868/drought-pushes-limits-irrigation/5. on stateimpact.npr.org, View Any drastic changes in the condition of the groundwater can result in the loss of these habitats. Groundwater levels are declining as pumping increases. Ogallala Formation. Farmers in Texasthe state with the most farms in the U.S.are also concerned. As you can see, this isnt a meaningless issue. All of these numbers are minuscule when compared to the amount of water being produced from the Ogallala Aquifer each year, leading to a net overdraft rate, or net rate of groundwater mining, of 54.864 mm/year averaged, area-weighted, across the entire aquifer (McGuire, 2007). 20 Sept. 2015. The governing bodies for groundwater in Kansas are the five Groundwater-Management Districts. They rely heavily on groundwater to tide over a dry season. The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes. complete answer on plainshumanities.unl.edu, View This article is useful for our research because it shows that there is a direct correlation between the agricultural industry and economy and the Ogallala Aquifer. But the current drought plaguing the region is unusually strong and persistent, driving farmers to rely more on the aquifer and sharpening the debate over its future. Retrieved from, Sources of Contamination: Point Sources and Non-Point Sources, Environmental Effects of Groundwater Depletion, Current Public Policy Regarding Groundwater, State Policies For Groundwater Withdrawals, Better Water Quality - High Vulnerability, Less Serious Water Quality Problems - Low Vulnerability, Less Serious Water Quality Problems - High Vulnerability, More Serious Water Quality Problems - Low Vulnerability, More Serious Water Quality Problems - High Vulnerability. Wetlands Reserve Program provides wetland protection on privately owned land. The Ogallala Aquifer: Water Doesn't Come From Nowhere The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the world's largest, lying beneath the U.S. states of South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. This is a national network for conservation and restoration of natural habitat and wildlife. Fine grained soil, like the soil found in the northern Texas Panhandle, is less permeable than larger grained soil. As much as 15% of irrigation water can permeate into the Ogallala Aquifer (Kansas Department of Agriculture, 2006). The Current State of the Ogallala Aquifer - Talon/LPE Overall, the governance practices have been well established in the different states that the Ogallala Aquifer covers. This commission is in charge of issuing and changing water permits. In Chase County, the water levels have dropped by 100 feet since the 1950s, a report from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found. The Ogallala aquifer is one of the world's largest fresh water resources. These programs reward owners who are already implementing environmentally friendly techniques in farming ("Conservation Security Programs"). Since recharge rates are so slow, if the Ogallala Aquifer is completely depleted, it will not refill itself in a matter of years. Story continues Shrinkage cracks in the clay floor of these lakes and solution channels in the caliche, which is a layering that normally prevents recharge, provide a pathway for water to seep deeper into the ground and ultimately reach the Ogallala aquifer (Nativ, 1992, 27). Bathtub rings . Plants, such as juvenile Salix Gooddingii, juvenile Populus Fremontii, juvenile Fraxinus Velutina, only have a range of about 1.8m change in depth to groundwater. The Ogallala Aquifer (oh-guh-LAH-lah) is a shallow water table aquifer surrounded by sand, silt, clay, and gravel located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. However, regions within Arizona can be designated as Irrigation Non-Expansion Areas (INAs) or Active Management Areas (AMAs). N.p., Feb. 2003. It occupies an area of 174,000 square miles, spreading across 8 American Great Plains States, according to the US Geological Survey. The Bureau of Land Management- Resource Management is a monitoring system that can cross land management boundaries. Management options for sustaining the Ogallala Aquifer primarily include methods for reducing agricultural water consumption. Ogallala - Wikipedia South Dakota's water resources are managed by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (SDDENR). Thus, we must reduce the United States' overdependence on the Ogallala's water by reducing the water usage within the Ogallala's boundaries. Although there are bills that have been passed to make sure landowners practice conservation, many of the policies and programs undertaken are at the volition of the landowners. Water quality differs by region. The main problem with groundwater in the Western Northern American Region of the world is that water is being withdrawn from aquifers at a rate much greater than the recharge rate. These worrisome prospects form the dramatic backdrop to a book titled Ogallala: Water for a Dry Land, now out in its third edition. The Bureau of Land Management- Resource Management aims to conserve the land and resources under its natural condition. In such cases, the government is unable to enforce new laws that regulate water use from the aquifer. The aquifer is a finite resource as the region supplies its industries' and communities' daily needs. Based on this definition, the Ogallala Aquifers rapid depletion is considered a wicked problem due to the vast number of stakeholders involved, resulting in numerous opinions and therefore conflicts regarding how to resolve the issues surrounding the Ogallala depletion. This is a permanent commitment ("Wetlands Reserve Program"). Usually, the first species to be affected by this drop in groundwater levels are the water-sensitive plants, like some wetland and riparian plants. Domestic purposes are defined as single family homes, camps, livestock, and irrigation of up to half of an acre of land (Water Rights Fact Sheet, 2001). And once the Ogallala is emptied, it could take 6,000 years to recharge naturally. Water rights are considered as property and hence can be sold and transferred between individuals and/or parties. Another group consists of farmers who are resistant to change in irrigation practices and have only taken minimal precautions to slow down depletion. The recharge rate of the Ogallala aquifer is an estimated 22-25 mm per year. What is the Ogallala Aquifer? - Ogallala Commons Based on this definition, the Ogallala Aquifer's rapid depletion is considered a wicked problem due to the vast number of stakeholders involved, resulting in numerous opinions and therefore conflicts regarding how to resolve the issues surrounding the Ogallala depletion. Pumping underground water, he told his audience, would build little homes of pleasing architecture. Retrieved 11 28, 2015, from Water For ALl: http://12.000.scripts.mit.edu/mission2017/genetically-modified-crops/. (McGuire et al., 2004). In addition, playa lakes provide an important additional source of water. This article provides information on how genetically modified crops can contribute to the reduction of global food insecurity. N.p., 19 Jan. 2014. Aquifers are being depleted by irrigation. Farmers who hung on through World War II placed their hope in highly engineered solutions, such as high-powered pumps and center-pivot irrigation systems. These dangerous compounds are turning up in tap water across the country. This post originally appeared at The Conversation. It also strives to improve watershed conditions and help sustain biological communities. 1(1), 39-41. doi:10.1002/2013EF000107. Howling windstorms widely known as black blizzards blotted out the sun, blowing away exposed soil and displacing much of the human population. And as drought conditions continue and climate change worsens, scientists fear this could be an ongoing trend. 2 Nov. 2015. Web. The Ogallala Aquifer, Sustaining Life | by William House - Medium This depletion can drastically affect the rivers and streams. Native species are extremely sensitive to changes in the water table. No permits are needed if the out-of-state transfer is less than 1,000 acre-feet per year (McGuire et al, 2000, 45). Basso, Hyndman and Kendalls peer reviewed journal article argues that in order to sustain the Ogallala Aquifer and therefore the agricultural industry (and economy) farmers need to find alternatives to mining the Ogallala Aquifer. Within 50 years, the entire aquifer is expected be 70% depleted. This won't delete the articles you've saved, just the list. This article is important for our research because it provides an estimated timeline about how long we have to solve the issues around the Ogallala and how much current conservation is helping in terms of extending the Ogallalas lifetime. This map shows changes in Ogallala water levels from the period before the aquifer was tapped to 2015.