It took 10 million years for the Ogallala Aquifer to fill with water. Now,says a report on eenews.net,after just over a century of pumping and irrigation, a third of the Ogallala is gone, and its future is in grave danger. The Ogallala supplies water to almost 20 percent of the nation's wheat and cotton crops and cattle. But in Haskell County, in the southwest corner of Kansas, water levels have dropped 150 feet since 1950. And that’s just one of many bleak examples. Some once-lush fields have dwindled to nearly a third of their former yield—or worse.
Lawmakers are pushing water conservation, with mixed results. At the current rate of consumption, there will be enough water to irrigate for the next 20 years or so. A 20 percent cut would probably extend the life of the aquifer for four years. That's a troubling statistic for growers in the region.
At a recent meeting, a Kansas farmer told his neighbors, "I'll quit pumping if you can guarantee the water will be here for my kids." Sadly, no one could make that promise.