Mortgaging our future: The Ogallala Aquifer

When we hear the song "God Bless America", and the portion involving the "Amber Waves of Grain," people in the midwest pump their chest out with pride. If the Ogallala aquifer, the secret to the success of midwest farming, dries up then chest swelling may deflate to a flat chest, devoid of pride.

The Ogallala Aquifer is a natural water deposit that helps farmers grow their crops in an area that covers eight states. The aquifer is responsible for the success of Americas rich and plentiful farmlands across the midwest.

According to the Water Encyclopedia, The Ogallala Aquifer covers 174,000 square miles across eight states. It also provides the High Plains region with nearly all of the water for agriculture, industrial, and residential use.

The aquifer is the key system used in a vast region of America's heartland. Recently, efforts have been made to cut back the usage of this aquifer in order to prevent it from drying up and/or becoming polluted.

According to the USDA, The aquifer accounts for 30 percent of all water used in the country.

                   One of the main concern regarding the aquifer is the current over usage by the                              agriculture, industrial, and residential sectors.

According to a U.S. Geological Survey study from 2000-2008, the aquifer was over drafted by an average of 10.2 Kilometers, or roughly 2 percent of the volume of water in Lake Eerie.

The Ogallala Aquifer recharges itself by collecting rainfall and snowmelt. As you can imagine, this is a relatively slow and natural process. Due to the rapid rise in agriculture since 1940, we have been over drafting from the 10 million year-old system for decades.

Other Links:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/initiatives/?cid=stelprdb1048809


http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2012/finalwebsite/problem/groundwater.shtml

http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Ogallala-Aquifer.html

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3595#.VDteASldXZg