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impacted by the development of water sources from the Ogallala Aquifer. As the water level in the Ogallala declines, agriculture and the rural communities must adjust to the new economic realities of reduced agricultural production, reduced revenue, lower tax revenues, and reduction in the availability of community services.Ogallala aquifer—and the region it enhances. Underlying 175,000 square miles across eight states, this aquifer drives agricultural productivity and identity. The Ogallala aquifer region hosts diverse landscapes and ecosystems that are sensitive to human impacts. The aquifer currently supports nearly 30% of U.S. irrigated crops and livestock. The depth of the water below the surface of the land ranges from almost 400 feet (120 m) in parts of the north to between 100 and 200 feet (30 and 61 m) throughout much of the south. Wilson said 80-90% of the water used in the Ogallala aquifer region goes to irrigation. That averages out to about 2.5 billion gallons a day, pumped up and sprayed on crops. Story continuesGroundwater level changes in Nebraska from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2022. Most parts of Nebraska have had higher or stable water levels, whereas southwest Nebraska and Box Butte County have seen a steady drop in groundwater levels. Map excerpted from the 2022 Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report, UNLThe Ogallala Aquifer (OA), the largest freshwater aquifer in the world, is a main source of agricultural and public water supplies that has sustained economic development in the High Plains region of the United States for more than 80 years. Groundwater supply in the OA, similar to supply in many of the world’s aquifers that …Real-time groundwater-level data; Our Studies; News. link. August 11, 2023. USGS hydrologic study to use non-toxic green dye in Lake Fork Creek link. July 31, 2023. MEDIA ALERT: One of Colorado’s deadliest natural disasters on record began 47 years ago today link. October 27, 2022.The Ogallala aquifer is the primary source of water for agricultural and municipal purposes in the Texas Panhandle. Because most of the groundwater in the Texas Panhandle is withdrawn from the Ogallala aquifer, information on the qual-ity of groundwater in the Ogallala aquifer in this part of Texas is useful for resource characterization.The Ogallala (or High Plains) Aquifer covers an area of approximately 440,000 km 2 located in eight American states, i.e., Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Okla-The Ogallala aquifer is the primary source of water for agricultural and municipal purposes in the Texas Panhandle. Because most of the groundwater in the Texas Panhandle is withdrawn from the Ogallala aquifer, information on the qual-ity of groundwater in the Ogallala aquifer in this part of Texas is useful for resource characterization.Western Kansas GMD 1 experienced a groundwater-level drop of 0.51 feet in 2021, after falling 0.59 in 2020 and 0.14 in 2019. Declines there tend to be small but steady. GMD 1 includes portions of ...Apr 4, 2023 · Water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer continue to plummet as farm irrigation swallows an average of more than 2 billion gallons of groundwater per day statewide. But after decades of mostly inaction from Kansas leaders, the state’s approach to water conservation might finally be starting to shift. That’s what’s happening right now in western Kansas where some farmers aren’t able to get enough water for their crops from wells fed by the Ogallala Aquifer, which underlies portions of eight states, stretching for nearly 175,000 square miles from South Dakota to Texas. It’s part of the High Plains Aquifer system that sits below one of ...Figure1. Brule sandstone at Toadstool Geologic Park, Sioux County, Nebraska. The Brule sand-sandstone aquifer and the Upper Cretaceous aquifer are the other two secondary aquifers in western Nebraska. The Brule sand-sandstone aquifer is distinguished from wells installed in Brule siltstone. The sand and sandstone units in the …The Ogallala Aquifer is a massive store of groundwater that quenches the thirst of people, crops and livestock throughout the Great Plains. The aquifer extends, roughly, from Midland, Texas, through the Texas Panhandle and all the way to South Dakota. In fact, it’s the aquifer that makes the current way of life on the Plains possible.

Groundwater monitoring. The NGWMN grew significantly during 2020. The size of the NGMWN grew from 9,248 sites in January 2020 to 18,235 sites in January 2021. Details on growth are described in the following bullets. In 2020 a total of 7,040 groundwater level sites were added to the NGWMN, bringing the number of long-term water-level sites ...The Ogallala Aquifer’s future requires not just adapting to declining water levels, but the involvement of a wide range of participants comfortable with innovation who will help manage the situation and drive future changes. National Climate Assessment: Great Plains’ Ogallala Aquifer drying out.The saturated thickness of the Ogallala aquifer in the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District ranges from 10 to over 460 feet with an estimated District average of 180 feet. The depth from land surface to the base of the aquifer can range from the land surface to as much as 1000 feet below surface. The depth to static water level from ...The aquifer in question is the Ogallala Aquifer, the source of much irrigation water and the lifeblood of row-crop agriculture in the southwestern Plains. ... Aquifer level declines during the ...

Change in groundwater storage. Ground water levels decline when the rate of extraction by irrigation exceeds the rate of recharge. At places, the water table ...The High Plains Aquifer (HPA), sometimes known in Nebraska as the Ogallala Aquifer, is an enormous resource underlying 112 million acres across parts of eight states, from South Dakota to Texas. ... We have examined groundwater dynamics at the aquifer level by estimating county-level impacts of irrigation and weather on aquifer levels, across ...…

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs. The Ogallala Aquifer has long been unable to keep up with these. Possible cause: 3 Min Read. Shelley E. Huguley. Annual measurements show an average change of -0.6.