Travis Macha

Travis MachaPreserving the Ogallala Aquifer: For Today and TomorrowTexas Tech University

ThesisIn 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 DepletionTake-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 declineV.L. McGuire, Terrell and JohnsonDiscussion on need for change in water usageTerrell and Johnson, Hornbeck

Subtopic 2: Irrigation MethodsTake-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 technologiesHornbeck, Keskin, Lamm and Obrian , Call for development of technologiesLittle, Lamm and Obrian , Verchick

Subtopic 3: Farming techniquesFarming habits are also crucial to alter if conservation will succeedReliance on irrigation Pfeiffer and Lin, LittleUsing farming techniques to conserve waterLittle, Castellazzi

ConclusionCurrent 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 CitedCastellazi, M.S. A systematic representation of crop rotations. Agricultural Systems 97. 2008: 26-33 Article. Web. 22 June 2014Keskin, Pinar and Hornbeck, Richard. The Evolving Impact of the Ogallala Aquifer: Agricultural Adaptation to Groundwater and Climate. NBER Working Papers Series 17625. (2011): 1-42 Article. Web. 22 June, 2014Little, J. 2009. The Ogallala Aquifer: Saving a Vital U.S. Water Source. Scientific American, (2009): 1-7 Article. Web. 17 June, 2014McGuire, V.L., Johnson. 2003, Water in storage and approaches to ground-water management, High Plains aquifer 1243, (2000): 1-36. US Department of Commerce. Web. 22 June, 2014Pfeiffer, Lisa and Lin, Cynthia. Groundwater pumping and spatial externalities in agriculture. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, (2012): 64. 16-30. 22 June, 2014O'Brien, Daniel and Lamm, Freddie. "Corn Yields and Profitability for Low-Capacity Irrigation Systems." ASAE, (2000): 1-37 Article. Web. 17 June, 2014Terrell, Bonnie and Segarra, Eduardo. Ogallala aquifer depletion: economic impact on the Texas high plains. Water Policy 4. (2001): 33-46 Article. Web. 18 June, 2014Verchick, Robert R. M. "Dust Bowl Blues: Saving And Sharing The Ogallala Aquifer." Journal Of Environmental Law & Litigation 14.1 (1999): 13-23. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 23 June 2014.