Did you know?

In most areas, new water isn't taking the place of what's pumped out of the Ogallala. Between 1950 and 2013, the water levels dropped over 250 feet in an Ogallala well near Lubbock, Texas. The aquifer has seen more moderate declines elsewhere, but it's causing problems for cities, well owners and irrigators alike.Many forms of land-based life depend on fresh water, which comes from rain. Humans depend on rain to fill aquifers. Rain also plays a role in shaping the landscape and bringing nutrients to the ocean.the Ogallala level decline and water is being extracted from deeper parts of the aquifer the quality of water may degrade [2]. Since the Ogallala aquifer has a very low recharge rate [7] and other water resources are so scarce, efforts to increase the life of this valuable resource should focus on managing demand. Of these, the Ogallala aquifer underlies most of western Kansas and consists mainly of the Ogallala Formation, a geologic unit that formed from sediment eroded off the uplifting Rocky Mountains. The southwest Kansas portion of the Ogallala has suffered the greatest losses since groundwater levels started dropping in the 1950s.Jan. 6, 2023, at 12:04 p.m. Warning About Aquifer's Decline Sets up Big Fight in Kansas. Lee Reeve poses for a photo at the cattle feedyard and ethanol plant operated by his family Thursday, Jan ...Apr 4, 2023 · Water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer continue to plummet as farm irrigation swallows an average of more than 2 billion gallons of groundwater per day statewide. But after decades of mostly ... May 1, 2020 · The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the world’s largest fresh groundwater resources. It underlies 175,000 square miles in eight states. 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. A 2023 High Plains Underground Water Conservation District report showed that the Ogallala Aquifer's levels have continued to drop over the past five years, according to the levels of 1,338 ...The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the world’s largest fresh groundwater resources. It underlies 175,000 square miles in eight states. 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.As the largest aquifer in the U.S., the Ogallala Aquifer underlies more than 450,000 km 2 of the Great Plains with more than 90% of aquifer’s water extracted for agricultural purposes (Brauer et al., 2017), supplying water to more than $35 billion in crops annually (Basso et al., 2013). The Ogallala Aquifer is the lifeblood for this highly ...Oct 13, 2023 · Between 1950 and 2013, the water levels dropped over 250 feet in an Ogallala well near Lubbock, Texas. The aquifer has seen more moderate declines elsewhere, but it’s causing problems for cities ... 1898 – Ogallala Aquifer named by geologist N.H. Darton after the formation outcrop near the town of Ogallala, NE. 1909 – First high- capacity irrigation well on the High Plains was drilled in Bailey County, TX. 1910 – Centrifugal pump technology expands. 1917 – WWI demand for wheat encourages sod busting for cultivation.The High Plains aquifer consists of one or more hydraulically connected geologic units of late Tertiary or Quaternary age, underlain by bedrock units that range in age from Permian to Tertiary. The High Plains aquifer is divided into the northern, central, and southern High Plains regions. The northern High Plains aquifer underlies parts of ...Because of this, the aquifer has a very slow recharge rate. Where water levels drop, the price of water goes up. The recharge rate of the Ogallala aquifer is an estimated 22-25 mm per year. At the rate we are going, we will completely deplete this natural resource. As noted by the 2022 State Water Plan, Texas is expected to grow in population by more than 73% by 2070 – when most of the Ogallala is expected to be gone – and its water supply demands will ...

Figure 6 illustrates some of these time-scale points. Recharge in the Ogallala aquifer of western Kansas, for example, is slight, and it may take many years for precipitation at the earth's surface to reach a deep aquifer. Figure 6--Ground water moves, though slowly. Movement from the surface to a point of discharge may take years, decades, or ...Changes in Ogallala water levels from before the aquifer was tapped in the early 20th century to 2015. Gray indicates no significant change. Water levels have risen in some areas, especially ...By Richard Banks. First, to recharge an aquifer, one needs surplus water. Western Kansas, which was once considered part of the “Great American Desert” and where, accordingly, the aquifer’s decline is most severe, …Many small businesses go through an early growth stage. But after that, you may need to change up your strategies to take the next step. Many small businesses go through an early growth stage. But after that, you may need to change up your ...15 feb 2023 ... The Ogallala aquifer groundwater levels in much of western Kansas started dropping in the 1950s as pumping increased, according to the ...

Groundwater-level changes between the 2012–13 and 2019–20 sampling periods at wells completed in the Ogallala aquifer in the Texas Panhandle. Unexpected decreases in the depth to water of 16.36 ft and 29.62 ft were measured in wells Li-0582 and Da-3588, respectively ( fig. 2 ; Ging and Mobley, 2021 ), relative to the depth to water measured ...26 ago 2013 ... Steward and his colleagues collected data on past and present groundwater levels in the Ogallala Aquifer, and developed statistical models to ...Jan 22, 2023 · Countywide aquifer declines averaged 0.54 feet per year from 2010 to 2017, according to Kansas Geological Survey data. But from 2018 to 2021, the county lost an average of 0.09 feet per year. …

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs. In most areas, new water isn’t taking the place of what’s pumped. Possible cause: Aug 15, 2022 · In Castro County in 2022, the High Plains Water District reported Og.