The Ogallala Aquifer

The Ogallala Aquifer (also called the High Plains Aquifer), an underground supply, is the major source of water for Eastern New Mexico and much of West Texas. It also supplies water to parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota.

Did You Know? The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States.

Water Level Declines:

Water level declines of two to three feet and more PER YEAR in many areas make the physical exhaustion (drying up) of the aquifer a very real concern.

Notice that the areas in Curry and Roosevelt Counties of New Mexico are comprised mainly of areas of little to no saturated thickness (black dotted area) or have 50 feet or less of water (yellow area) AS OF 1997. [Curry County is the county in eastern New Mexico whose Northern edge looks like stair-steps].

Click Here for a larger view of the map.

Statement from US Senator Jeff Bingaman:

“Currently, the Ogallala Aquifer is being mined at a much higher rate than it is being recharged, and is showing alarming declines in many areas. In just the last two decades, large portions of the aquifer show drops - between 10 to 40 feet - in the water table. That kind of drop reduces the productivity of wells and greatly increases pumping costs. It also poses a serious threat to the long-term viability of the agricultural economy served by the aquifer.”

What's The Evidence?

• Some irrigators in parts of the Oklahoma Panhandle have already experienced de-watering and are unable to irrigate.
• The western portion of Curry County, in some areas, has 20 feet of water in the aquifer or less.
• Local residents in the Ranchvale area are experiencing significant pressure drops when local farmers fire up their irrigation systems.
• Some Ranchvale residents get occasional sand with their water.
• Some residents of eastern New Mexico, in the St. Vrain area, must haul water.

Effects of De-Watering:

As the water table drops, the water in the aquifer becomes more and more brackish (salty) as the concentration of dissolved minerals and salts increases.

If present trends continue, eventually, it will be undrinkable and then it will DISAPPEAR.

Notice that most of the Ogallala in New Mexico is an "area of little or no saturated thickness"--red areas.

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Click Here for the Rest of the Story--Including Irrigated Agriculture's Impact on the Aquifer AND a Startling Report from the NM State Engineer.