The water issue is a statewide one, experts underscore, but it is perhaps at its most acute in western Kansas. The region is powered by the Ogallala Aquifer, which spans a half-dozen states and at174,000 square miles is one of the world’s largest aquifers. While its tentacles stretch into south-central Kansas, it is most critical for supporting western Kansas agriculture. That same industry, however, it was is sapping the Ogallala dry. Not all farmers rely on irrigation. But corn, the most commonly grown crop on the high plains, is water intensive and is in large part responsible for up to 5.58 million acre-feet of water per year — the amount necessary to help farmers irrigate their fields. Ever since irrigation began in earnest, the Ogalalla has seen a decline in its groundwater levels. That trend has accelerated in recent years, depleting half the supply in some parts of western Kansas.
Source: Salina Journal
