Some interesting facts about the Ogallala Aquifer came to light at the Panhandle-South Plains Water Conservation Symposium in Amarillo last week, reports Amarillo.com. For example, if the water currently in storage in the aquifer only covered the area of a football field, the water would stretch a quarter of the way to the moon.
There are 380 million acre-feet in the aquifer today. However, while that may seem like a lot of water, the storage in the aquifer is expected to drop by almost half by 2060. Water usage in Amarillo alone is 133 acre-feet per day. That means, with the water they use every single day, Amarillo’s citizens could cover 133 acres of land with a foot of water.
And drought is a constant threat. Despite last year’s heavy rainfall, drought conditions are beginning to creep back into the panhandle. And things can change fast.