BOARD02312

• Board Meeting Date: 11/19/2001
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds that--
(1) a reliable source of groundwater is an essential ~Iement of the economy of the communities on the
High Plains;
(2) the High Plains Aquifer consists largely of the Ogallala Aquifer with small components of other
geologic units;
(3) the High Plains Aquifer experienced a dramatic decline in water table levels in the latter half of the
twentieth century;
(4) the decline in water table levels is especially pronounced in the Southern Ogallala Aquifer, with areas
in the states of Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas experiencing declines of over 100 feet in that
from 1950 to 1997; ,
(5) the saturated thickness of the High Plains Aquifer has declined by over 50 percent in some areas, the
percentage of the High Plains Aquifer which has a $aturated thickness of 100 feet or more declined from
54 percent to 51 percent in the period from 1980 td 1997;
(6) the decreased water levels in the High Plains Aquifer coupled with higher pumping lift costs raise
concerns about the long-term sustainability of irrigated agriculture in the High Plains;
(7) hydrological modeling by the United States Geological Survey indicates that in the context of sustained
high groundwater use in the surrounding region, reductions in groundwater pumping at the single farm
level or at a local level of up to 100 square miles, have a very time limited impact on conserving the level
of the local water table, thus creating a disincentiv~ for individual water users to invest in water
conservation measures; :
(8) incentives must be created for conservation of1groundwater on a regional scale, in order to achiey_e an
agricultural economy on the High Plains that is su~tainable;
(9) Federal, State, tribal, and local water policy makers, and individual groundwater users must have
access to reliable information concerning aquifer recharge rates, extraction rates, and water table levels at
the local and regional levels on an ongoing basis for water conservation incentives to function; and
(10) coordination ofPederal, State and local efforts to map, model and monitor the High Plains Aquifer
and of programs pertaining to the conservation o~ the groundwater resources of the Aquifer can play an
important role in effectively addressing the issue bfthe decline of the Aquifer.
(b) PURPOSE- The purpose of this Act is to provide for the enhanced mapping, modeling, and monitoring of the _
High Plains Aquifer and the improved coordination of e~orts to address the conservation of the groundwater . .-
resources ofthe Aquifer.

.

107th CONGRESS
1 st Session
S.1537 _
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a hydrogeologic mapping, modeling, and monitoring program foIW
the High Plains Aquifer and to establish the High Plains Aquifer Coordination Council to facilitate groundwater
conservation in the High Plains.

IN THE SENATE OF THE l,JNITED STATES

October 11, 2(101

Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. DOMENICI, and Mr. lNHOFE) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL,
To authorize the Secretary ofthe Interior to conduct a hydrogeol<;>gic mapping, modeling, and monitoring program for
the High Plains Aquifer and to establish the High Plains Aquifer ;Coordination Council to facilitate groundwater
conservation in the High Plains. .
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives offhe United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the 'High Plains Aquifer Conservation, Monitoring, and Coordination Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

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