The Importance of the Ogallala Aquifer: Thoughts from the recent summit

Lawmakers and stakeholders gathered this week to discuss the importance of the Ogallala Aquifer.

At the third Ogallala Aquifer Summit in Liberal, Kansas, attendees were reminded the depletion of the aquifer is not a problem to be solved, but a situation to be managed. Leaders shared at the meeting what the water system means to agriculture in their state.

95% of the ground water pumped from the Ogallala Aquifer each year is for irrigated agriculture, as well as for livestock It supports $3.5 billion worth of crop production in Kansas. Analysts say the depletion of the aquifer could result in a $33 million loss for Kansas and a $56 million annual loss for Texas by the year 2050.

Related Stories
The University of Missouri takes us along to see how their Center for Regenerative Agriculture is helping farmers implement new, environmentally sustainable practices.
Let’s see how the Louisiana 4-H Wetlands Ambassadors explore all that their state’s natural habitat offers while learning more about leadership and environmental stewardship. This Week in Lousiana Agriculture takes us there.
The German company Constellr is part of the John Deere Start-Up Collaborator Program in 2024. It plans to launch a geothermal satellite next year that will give farmers and ranchers better tools to monitor surface temperature from space.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Cattle producers recently promoted U.S. beef on a trip to Japan and Korea with the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
After years of drought, farmers across U.S. farm country are getting so much rainfall that it’s dampening their spring planting progress later into the season.
According to USDA experts, Brazil and Argentina’s large drop in corn production has more to do with the economics of corn markets than impacts from weather.
According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, no part of Iowa is experiencing extreme levels of drought for the first time in nearly two years.