- Sep 26, 2000
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Here's an issue I have not seen raised in this election cycle.
The Ogalla Aquifer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is a vast yet shallow underground water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. One of the world's largest aquifers.
Early settlers of the semi-arid High Plains were plagued by crop failures due to cycles of drought, culminating in the disasterous Dust Bowl of the 1930's. The aquifer was first tapped for irrigation in 1911. Large scale use for irrigation began in the 1930s and continued through the 1950s, due to the availability of electric power to rural farming communities and the development of cheap and efficient electric turbine pumps. It was only after World War II that affordable technology became available to substantially extract water. This metamorphasized the the High Plains into one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world. During the early years, this source of water was thought to be inexhaustible, and its hydrology a mystery. However, because the rate of extraction exceeds the rate of recharge, water level elevations are decreasing. At some places the water table was measured to drop more than five feet (1.5 m) per year at the time of maximum extraction. In extreme cases, the deepening of wells was required to reach the steadily falling water table; and it has even been drained (dewatered) in some places such as Northern Texas. Today, water is being extracted at rates exceeding one hundred times the natural replacment rate. At present rates of consumption the aquifer is in danger of being depleted relatively soon. Agricultural changes in water usage that focuses on utilizing treated recycled sources of water is one approach at vouchsafing the future of this national treasure.
When people first saw what is todays breadbasket it was referred to as the "American desert" due to the grassland that stretched for hundreds of miles. Using natural rain grass is the only natural plant life that could live there.
All this talk about ethanal and the increase in tax breaks for growing corn have increased the proportion of corn over wheat and soy. Corn uses far more water.
So basically within 20 years (if we just grow what we are growing now) vast areas will no longer support corn growing. Perhaps 90 percent of corn acreage will be unusable. Some of these areas can support wheat without irrigation but at low levels of productivity per acre.
The only real solution is.....
Draining a Great Lake!
The Ogalla Aquifer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is a vast yet shallow underground water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. One of the world's largest aquifers.
Early settlers of the semi-arid High Plains were plagued by crop failures due to cycles of drought, culminating in the disasterous Dust Bowl of the 1930's. The aquifer was first tapped for irrigation in 1911. Large scale use for irrigation began in the 1930s and continued through the 1950s, due to the availability of electric power to rural farming communities and the development of cheap and efficient electric turbine pumps. It was only after World War II that affordable technology became available to substantially extract water. This metamorphasized the the High Plains into one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world. During the early years, this source of water was thought to be inexhaustible, and its hydrology a mystery. However, because the rate of extraction exceeds the rate of recharge, water level elevations are decreasing. At some places the water table was measured to drop more than five feet (1.5 m) per year at the time of maximum extraction. In extreme cases, the deepening of wells was required to reach the steadily falling water table; and it has even been drained (dewatered) in some places such as Northern Texas. Today, water is being extracted at rates exceeding one hundred times the natural replacment rate. At present rates of consumption the aquifer is in danger of being depleted relatively soon. Agricultural changes in water usage that focuses on utilizing treated recycled sources of water is one approach at vouchsafing the future of this national treasure.
When people first saw what is todays breadbasket it was referred to as the "American desert" due to the grassland that stretched for hundreds of miles. Using natural rain grass is the only natural plant life that could live there.
All this talk about ethanal and the increase in tax breaks for growing corn have increased the proportion of corn over wheat and soy. Corn uses far more water.
So basically within 20 years (if we just grow what we are growing now) vast areas will no longer support corn growing. Perhaps 90 percent of corn acreage will be unusable. Some of these areas can support wheat without irrigation but at low levels of productivity per acre.
The only real solution is.....
Draining a Great Lake!
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