Travis Macha Preserving the Ogallala Aquifer: For Today and Tomorrow Texas Tech University

Thesis In the past, the Ogallala has been a seemingly infinite supply of water however, current research has put an end to that as indicators of declining water levels are prompting a reexamination of farming conditions as well as a range of irrigation strategies to meet conservation goals.

Subtopic 1: Water Depletion Take-away: However, depleting at rates that are still being disputed one thing for certain is water usage must slow to preserve the life of the aquifer for years to come. ▫Rate of decline  V.L. McGuire, Terrell and Johnson ▫Discussion on need for change in water usage  Terrell and Johnson, Hornbeck

Subtopic 2: Irrigation Methods Take-away: Modern irrigation techniques must be adopted as well as development of new ones for the overall goal of conserving the aquifer. ▫Need for adoption of modern methods, due to inefficient old technologies  Hornbeck, Keskin, Lamm and O’brian, ▫Call for development of technologies  Little, Lamm and O’brian, Verchick

Subtopic 3: Farming techniques Farming habits are also crucial to alter if conservation will succeed ▫Reliance on irrigation  Pfeiffer and Lin, Little ▫Using farming techniques to conserve water  Little, Castellazzi

Conclusion Current research indicates regardless of how fast, the Ogallala is depleting and it is the human responsibility to preserve it. Not only must water efficient irrigation methods be used more wide spread but also farming methods must change. Low-tillage farming and crop rotations are excellent alternatives. Continued research and adaption to the growing situation must continue to progress at a rapid pace to give the aquifer the best chance to be preserved.

Works Cited Castellazi, M.S. “A systematic representation of crop rotations.” Agricultural Systems : Article. Web. 22 June 2014 Keskin, Pinar and Hornbeck, Richard. “The Evolving Impact of the Ogallala Aquifer: Agricultural Adaptation to Groundwater and Climate.” NBER Working Papers Series (2011): 1-42 Article. Web. 22 June, 2014 Little, J “The Ogallala Aquifer: Saving a Vital U.S. Water Source.” Scientific American, (2009): 1-7 Article. Web. 17 June, 2014 McGuire, V.L., Johnson. “2003, Water in storage and approaches to ground-water management,” High Plains aquifer 1243, (2000): US Department of Commerce. Web. 22 June, 2014 Pfeiffer, Lisa and Lin, Cynthia. “Groundwater pumping and spatial externalities in agriculture.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, (2012): June, 2014 O'Brien, Daniel and Lamm, Freddie. "Corn Yields and Profitability for Low-Capacity Irrigation Systems." ASAE, (2000): 1-37 Article. Web. 17 June, 2014 Terrell, Bonnie and Segarra, Eduardo. “Ogallala aquifer depletion: economic impact on the Texas high plains.” Water Policy 4. (2001): Article. Web. 18 June, 2014 Verchick, Robert R. M. "Dust Bowl Blues: Saving And Sharing The Ogallala Aquifer." Journal Of Environmental Law & Litigation 14.1 (1999): OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 23 June 2014.