The US Department of Agriculture will invest $8 million next year toward helping farmers and ranchers conserve water from the Ogallala Aquifer, while still maintaining and strengthening agricultural operations, reports Agri-Pulse.
The plan involves improving the efficiency of irrigation systems. The money will also go toward building soil health by using cover crops and no-till practices that allow the soil to hold water longer. Finally, the plan implements prescribed grazing to relieve pressure on stressed vegetation.
The plan is an expansion of an ongoing USDA project. The federal agency has already put $74 million toward relieving the aquifer. The Ogallala has been labeled unsustainable for some time now, and it’s in danger of drying up, having dropped 36 million acre feet from 2011-2013.