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c> (:"" ~ CJ1 00 EDA awarded a contract to Camp. Dresser, & McKee. Inc. (CDM) , as prime contrac- tor and leader of the General Contractor team. .;;::. The Problem - Recharge to the Ogal1ala Aquifer is relatively limited with a resulting severe overdraft condition. The Region is faced with ultimate exhaus- tion of the groundwater resources unless additional water can be made available. Production of oil and gas. which has been an important aspect of the total econ- omy of much of the area, is also declining. The price of energy for pumping irrigation water has increased rapidly. In its plan of study. the High Plains Council stated the objectives as follow: a. Determine potential development alternatives for the High Plains region. b. Identify and describe the policies and actions required to carry out promising development strategies. c. Evaluate the local. state. and national implications of these alterna- tive development strategies or the absence of these strategies. Alternative development strategies include (1) baseline or "no action.... (2) water resources alternatives, and (3) nonagricultural development alterna- tives. These will be evaluated with regard to their effect on the economy - local. state, regional, and national; the environment; and the quality of life. Interbasin transfer possibilities are also being investigated by the US Corps of Engineers. USGS OGALLALA AQUIFER SYSTEMS ANALYSIS STUDY (104th Meeting, 16 October 1979) Mr. Jack Weeks, Project Leader. High Plains Aquifer System Analysis, USGS. talked about the Regional Aquifer - System Analysis (RASA) program which was initiated by the US Geological Survey to provide comprehensive analyses as well as groundwater. LLANO EST ACADO PLAYA LAKE WATER RESOURCES STUDY (104th Meeting. 16 October 1979 Mr. Nicholas Palacios. Planning Team Coordinator, Bureau of Reclamation. South- west Region. discussed the 5-year investigation that is being conducted to eval- uate the playa lakes as a supplemental water supply for the High Plains study area. His report. which included a slide presentation. is summari~ed below. Numerous natural surface depressions are scattered throughout the High Plains of northwest Texas and adjacent parts of New Mexico. Colorado, Kansas. and Okla- homa. These depressions act as catch basins when precipitation occurs, but most of the water collected is lost to evaporation. Declining groundwater in the Ogallala formation and the increasing cost of fuel for pumping are causing 8