Is gonna get ugly…
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides about 30 percent of the groundwater used for irrigation in the United States, is being drained faster than it can recharge. As with many above-ground lakes, that means it could one day run dry.
The USGS has reported that groundwater levels in some areas of the Ogallala – which runs from Texas to South Dakota – have dropped 200 feet since large-scale irrigation began. NASA’s Earthdata analysis found that overuse has led to significant declines in Ogallala groundwater levels that threaten its sustainability.
Water management is becoming a critical issue for farmers and ranchers. Even in Texas, people are too familiar with electricity brownouts and blackouts that sometimes last for days. But when a reservoir or an aquifer runs dry, the wait can be far longer.
Full article HERE, from Town Hall.
While ‘we’ don’t directly get water from it, we do pull some from the Seymour Aquifer, see below-
Courtesy of USGS
It is what’s called an ‘unconstrained’ aquifer, in that it is geographically diverse and not connected. We do get ‘some’ municipal water from it, but most of our water comes from surface lakes.
Which makes us susceptible to water rationing when it doesn’t rain (drought) and the water levels in the lakes fall. We haven’t had a ‘water emergency’ since I’ve been here (10 years now), but I know we’ve come close at least once.
As a friend of fond of saying, water is for fighting, and whisky is for drinking. And I think we’re about to get in a fight… sigh…
And it’s not just here in Texas. The whole Colorado River Compact is apparently up for discussion, due to the mandatory ‘rationing’ of water downstream. There is also the ‘issue’ of senior water rights, granted in the 1800s that predate any agreements and outrank the agreements.
And the major lakes/water supplies are low, due to little rain and virtually no snowpack in some areas.
All I can say is be smart folks…
We also have a problem with the Snake River aquifer here in South Idaho as well. For decades the aquifer was considered ‘unlimited.” Not any more. With most of the Snake River itself allocated for irrigation, power generation, and aquifer recharge, a dry winter like this last one will strain the aquifer badly. Yeah, times are going to get “interesting” in that Chinese curse way.
I’m gonna call it…. the world will run out of water before it runs out of oil. and, like my daddy forecast 30+ years ago, the next major war will be over water, not oil.
Wichita County, KS (far western Kansas) has had to switch crops because their wells have dropped so low and the cost of pumping is so high.
Most of the Ogallala does not recharge. The Nebraska Sandhills, and some places in the southern end in Texas (also sandhills) do get recharge when it rains enough, but the bulk of the formation is fossil water. I’ve read forecasts that if all pumping ceased today, it would be over three thousand years before it recharged, IF it can, given compaction due to pumping. The book _Ogallala Blue_ is a good, big-picture look at the formation and the challenges.
[Full disclosure: My masters and PhD were both related to the Ogallala and other water sources on the Great Plains.]
There are farmers in southwest Kansas that no longer have water under their property. Knew a farmer in the 80s that had to go to Ulysses to fill a tank truck for domestic water on the farm. In the early 90s read a newspaper article about a farrmer in Wallace county that went over his grandfathers records. Realised that Gramps did better dryland farming. He went back to doing that.
NRW- I’m not surprised.
Dennis- I believe you are correct!
TXRed- Thank you for chiming in. I know your knowledge on this particular issue is extensive…
Gregg- They aren’t the only ones. Dammit…
Right now energy is what we generally fight over…but when water gets scarce it will be like food…the source of existential conflict.
Dan- You are correct.
What ever happened to T. Boone Pickens plan for a 12 ft pipeline to bring water down to Texas. This was about 30 years ? ago, I think.
A couple of things, including a regional water group buying out the properties, lawyers, and a drought ending so that the people down state no longer wanted to pay $$$$$ for the water and pipeline and power plants to move said water. Then he died, his estate had 0 interest in trying to revive the plan.
WHY he wanted/threatened to sell the water under Roberts County to San Antonio et al is a very long story that includes corporate spats and personal “philosophical differences” with regional leaders in the Texas Panhandle.
As the saying goes, whisky’s for drinkin’ and water’s for fightin’ over.
It’s only going to get worse with the Data Centers commandeering the water. The local governments around here (Georgia) seem to consider that they should have first access to it.
Water wars will intensify especially with data centers coming online.
Years ago a Colorado State Senator from North Park said, “it wasn’t until I came to my first session that I learned, “GODDAMNDENVERWATERBOARD wasn’t one word”.
The Colorado River runs through THE DESERT SOUTHWEST.They don’t have a water problem. They have a people problem. In 1920 Clarke County had a population of just under 5000.1950 just under 50000. 2026-3,041,000.
Cattle herds are at the lowest they’ve been since the 1950’s. We farm corn for cows that will eat grass because people like more fat on their meat. We grow corn for ethanol at a net energy loss. We have 20-100 million illegal immigrants depending on which estimate you read.
Seems to me there are things we could do to reduce our water usage.