Sage-Tips

How long until the Ogallala aquifer runs out?

Within 50 years, the entire aquifer is expected be 70\% depleted. Some observers blame this situation on periodic drought. Others point to farmers, since irrigation accounts for 90\% of Ogallala groundwater withdrawals.

Will the Ogallala aquifer run dry?

The Ogallala helped transform western Kansas from an agricultural wasteland into America’s breadbasket. But after generations of being tapped to irrigate the High Plains, parts of it are beginning to run dry.

Why is the Ogallala aquifer running dry in some places?

Global warming is likely to make droughts across the Ogallala region longer lasting and more intense over the next 50 years. However, current extraction for irrigation far exceeds recharge in this aquifer, and climate change places additional pressure on this critical water resource.

How fast does the Ogallala aquifer recharge?

Annual recharge of the Ogallala Aquifer varies widely from region to region; however, the average annual recharge rate is . 85 in/year, or 21.59 mm/year (U.S. Geological Survey, 1966).

How long before the Great Plains run out of water?

Southern Great Plains could run out of groundwater in 30 years, study finds. A new study looking at key aquifers beneath the Great Plains and California’s Central Valley suggests that areas of Texas and Kansas are drawing groundwater at an unsustainable rate. Wheat harvesters work on Tuesday near Clearwater, Kan.

How long does it take for an aquifer to recharge?

In general, it takes several years of average or above-average precipitation to recharge aquifers in California to pre-drought levels.

Can aquifer run dry?

Declines in groundwater can result not only from overpumping but also from reductions in the amount of water that’s recharging aquifers, due to drought, climate change or a combination of factors. “Excessive groundwater pumping can deplete groundwater reserves and cause wells to run dry.

Do aquifers dry up?

Depending on geologic and hydrologic conditions of the aquifer, the impact on the level of the water table can be short-lived or last for decades, and it can fall a small amount or many hundreds of feet. Excessive pumping can lower the water table so much that the wells no longer supply water—they can “go dry.”

How long does it take the Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas to refill by 1 inch?

6,000 years
That’s because the recharge rate for the Ogallala in this part of Kansas is less than 10 percent. So for every 10 inches pumped out a year, less than one inch is replaced, even in the best conditions. Once emptied, it would take 6,000 years to refill the Ogallala naturally.

Which states does the Ogallala Aquifer run through?

One of the world’s largest aquifers, it underlies an area of approximately 174,000 sq mi (450,000 km2) in portions of eight states (South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas).

What happens if the Ogallala Aquifer dries up?

If the aquifer goes dry, more than $20 billion worth of food and fiber will vanish from the world’s markets. And scientists say it will take natural processes 6,000 years to refill the reservoir.

What happens if an aquifer dries up?

And in places, collapsing aquifers have led to sinking ground, leaving gaping fissures in the land and cracking roads and canals. In California, water officials have recorded more than 2,800 reports of “household water supply shortages,” which generally involve dry wells, since 2013.