Ogallala Aquifer

The Water

The aquifer, once believed to be an inexhaustible underground river, is in fact an ancient geological formation created around 6–10 million years ago as a result of erosion of the Rocky Mountains. Scientists have determined that most of the water currently in the aquifer is “paleo” or “fossil” water and was collected during the ice ages. Ogallala is classified as an “unconfined aquifer” and is made up of clay and gravel, which is thicker in the northern states of Nebraska and South Dakota, soaking up rainwater and melting snow very slowly through its surface. The water in the aquifer is replenished at less than one inch annually. Only 15 percent of the aquifer qualifies as being “saturated” and available for agriculture. At present, 16.6 million acre-feet of water are pumped or “mined” annually to satisfy the needs of farmers in the region.

The water level in the aquifer has dropped in some places by more than a hundred feet, and it is estimated that 9 percent of the water has been used in the last few decades. It is also believed that global warming will greatly reduce the amount of precipitation in the region and that water levels will fall faster in coming years. Another area of concern is pollution from pesticides and fertilizers that is slowly seeping into these once-pristine waters. A holistic approach to conserving our water resources is urgently needed. It is critical that the aquifer be managed equitably so as to keep the “bread basket” full for future generations.

The Food

It comes as a surprise to many when they learn that the “bread basket” or “green belt” in the Great Plains was once called the great American desert and deemed unsuitable for agriculture. Before the 1950s, it was very difficult to sustain agriculture here because of the long periods of drought the region endured. The plains lie in flat semiarid open country once dominated by tall prairie grasses teeming with buffalo, deer, and huge flocks of birds. The settlers in the 1860s followed a system of cultivation known as “sod busting,” by which the drought-resistant native prairie grasses were decimated and replaced by more “useful” but water-hungry crops such as wheat and corn. This also led to the destruction of entire ecosystems on which Native Americans were dependent for their food supply.

When white settlers first cultivated the land, they were faced with long periods of drought, and agriculture was a very risky occupation.

...