Is the Ogallala going dry?

Excerpt

THE Ogallala Aquifer, which underlies a vast area in the heart of the United States, is a source of water for homes, industry, and irrigation. Irrigation wells began tapping the Ogallala Aquifer during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, eventually turning 16 million acres of dry cropland and range into highly productive farmland. Now there are so many wells in some areas that the water is being pumped faster than nature can replenish it. Some wells have already gone dry in parts of Texas. Sooner or later, all six states in the region will face the same prospect in all or part of the aquifer.

The economy of the Ogallala region has grown substantially and today is an important part of the national economy. This growth has been due in large part to the expansion of irrigation. Loss of irrigated agriculture due to groundwater depletion could become a serious problem for both the region and the nation. This potential danger is heightened by the inevitable depletion of oil and gas reserves, especially in the southern part of the region. These concerns caused Congress to authorize and fund a High Plains study …