|
<br />1340
<br />
<br />[)"'p3rlm~nt 01 ^lI.flcultur" l!'!Iti.
<br />mal"~ ~o.t 01 thO'Ol!' utra aCTn
<br />rrobably w.1I bot to.." In h~avily
<br />.lll.atr'd ..~tf'rn n!'lI:iOM Thf'
<br />I of thl' .UI". fll!'Jds It.. too
<br />_ to support C'Om .,thoul f'ltn
<br />walf'f. C'rop "t~ru said
<br />Wf'$tl'rn Kanns l.annl't"! also
<br /><If" npl"('t~ to 5rJ'O'" mon' .1111.
<br />1",.al'lO.h".vY"'lll"r~r.lI.ld
<br />Slukf'nholtz ~m.and tor Ill.U.-
<br />IS high .mona IIlf' ff'J[lon',
<br />l~lot.s ~.UM' Lbe drouaht dl!-
<br />ltroy~mucholthp~tllon',h.y
<br />('tOp That', drh'pn up alf.II.',
<br />priC'f'-anolh"r Incf'nUvl!' for
<br />farm,,"
<br />At If'asl :wmt' 01 the Incrf"u"-
<br />in ('om 'Cftllll!' can ~ .ttnblllffl
<br />101 chanltf' In tbe rulf'$of ft'dl"nl
<br />farm tUMldy proltums To qUI I-
<br />if}' for lIub!.idl~. corn firm,,"
<br />hlv" to l"avt' idll!' only IOpt'r<<nt
<br />of IhO!'ir n<>nnalacrn Than only
<br />half tilt' ..t-utdO!' ff'qulrt'd 111t
<br />vl!'ar..ndthf'JmI1lf'St.ln~11l8S
<br />. TnI!' idr" 01 tnelf'Of'ralll'ovtrn.
<br />ml!'nt f'fK"OUr'Rlllg larmf'''' to
<br />IO:row rom and USf' morf' watf'r t.
<br />f'!r'f'Cially ii:a1hnl to f'nvlron.
<br />mf'ntali!t.s
<br />"Why Wf' ~nllt in tryinl to
<br />In'o''('"omlnthpd~.IJUlIt
<br />don't undpntand." said Mryl
<br />()uncan. a Wuhbum \jnivpnlty
<br />law prof~~r II'ho II vlel!' pN'lll.
<br />df'nt 01 lhf' Kan.u! Nltural Reo
<br />~urc~ Council, b.W'd in To~ka
<br />,a!,at" ahud
<br />~l'pntual\)'. farmf'f5 and oHi-
<br />
<br />('"ial, Itn"..... IHill:ttlon ....lll..nd In
<br />",p,tprn Karaa, Thp aQull"f
<br />won't hf' ~ dry that I"ill" and
<br />lown, 11'111 Jl:0 thinly. Ih")' '1)'
<br />Bul th" walf'r...1II bolo ~dp.ppln
<br />Ih.. jl:round thllt farmf'" _on"t bolo
<br />ablp 10 allord to pump It to thp
<br />'urfal"!'. ,aid Gary Bak"f. man.
<br />a!l:f'r of Kln'l.il' Ground Walf'r
<br />Manall"mf'nt Ol,tfll"t No S.
<br />ba~lnGllrdf'nCity
<br />Thtodropinth,Oll'alllll',ltovtl
<br />alJOha,sompln Kamlu.,ul"hu
<br />Dunl"ln, qUP,llonllll!h!' f'll~
<br />11"""M,ollhf'Italot',_.t"rlrri.
<br />Itallon pnlll"y .
<br />In thf'urly 1\l70s. _h..nOIlII.
<br />lala ....llotf ll!'''pls bPllln to 'ho_
<br />'P""f!' dK'lInn. thl!' ,tltl!' bPJtID
<br />to ,.,.riou,ly rf'llulatt .Itf'r. It
<br />\'lrtually HOp~ thf'drllllnlof
<br />n..... irnllaUon ....tolls Dr-lIIlnll'lld
<br />~nartl"f'ln_O!"!I"rnK.MI,ln
<br />thf' 19!1l" and IliI70s Thf'S1atl!'
<br />put hmiu on Ulf' amount of Wllpr
<br />thll ul"h irriglloreould pump In
<br />IYf'.r.
<br />"But th~ pumping hmi~ Irf'
<br />dif!ieult to f'nforl"f'. Bakf'r Id.
<br />mIL. .
<br />'"It., prob.bly not politicllly
<br />If'ulbl,, 10 !hut SQmf'body dOll'n:'
<br />hf'.ddf'd.
<br />That dCOM not 'it 11;',,11 wllh
<br />otn"lronm"ntalitts ,uch u Oun-
<br />""
<br />"Thtof. ha, ai_IV' bo-ton I rfOal
<br />dpYf'Jopmf'nt m"nu.hty .bout
<br />"'"fOr lit Kan',,1I Wf"yp II_I~
<br />aell"d u II walotr Il!'ft In tht
<br />K")Undl......alpr wa!ll"d"
<br />
<br />
<br />WalM ....1' In !h. ~ll.~la AqUIlM
<br />In....e~'ml<.""s;\splul'TwTwolPdla.s1
<br />Y"'ar wtJll<'l drOvgl'il and heavy com
<br />p1anlr>Q$ f-Of"C>ted imgalOf1; 10 nm
<br />theIr ....ell! almosl non'Slop Th.
<br />1988dRclrwo.lnlha $Iale',
<br />SOlJl".....$If'f'9~.lhed'1iel
<br />oom.1'lI151ng a.... _1M w(ll'!;11n
<br />r"~lndlllrlr;.ov.lhIl2'().yu'
<br />.......rao. Waler..p""!.....amU1al
<br />~lnlheOoNlaI.acouldb-.
<br />....n VI'l;lrw In 1989 beaI'- 01
<br />~rtn;ldrOvgM.ndprtljedlon'lof
<br />oomplllnTlf'lQStl'IlS'P'l'>g,
<br />
<br />
<br />'.11._
<br />
<br />
<br />w.n I.~. d"'PII4d
<br />".arty 3 r... 0"
<br />.".ra....._
<br />a ,,_~'**-ln~
<br />Hv-......-........
<br />
<br />.,
<br />
<br />
<br />.2
<br />
<br />""'.""'101
<br />......._'"
<br />"'21.,---~
<br />IIl:rnlQ661)1~7
<br />_UIeolt
<br />
<br />.3
<br />198.3'~ 'ss '86 'S7.88
<br />._ ..hll. Irrt...ted com
<br />1Kf'e.... lnere.-..cI
<br />380] ~o:wnacr_
<br />--.Q
<br />360 ala:r.o.
<br />
<br />
<br />"'"
<br />
<br />320
<br />
<br />"'"
<br />
<br />..
<br />
<br />280
<br />""
<br />1983 '84 'SS '86 .S7 '88
<br />
<br />S<>>-~ t>tvo<nnolWll""R~ ~SQ,",~',_aI
<br />AQncUVII w-d 10:..-- AQrl(VVaI Sl3l1MICII Soo<VlC8
<br />
<br />Tho S.., 'll""'. 0..-
<br />
<br />Ogallala Aquifer: A huge sponge that fills slowly
<br />
<br />B.v Dud Sf~im~1
<br />T....!'.,"~._
<br />T htOgllli,II_,m.ttMonly
<br />underground ..ater lOu~
<br />afl~tPd by tbe IUS
<br />drought, tht "'orst In ~o ypar,.
<br />Ground'VI'lttr IUpplies _ert
<br />upped III over !ht Mid_est and
<br />GrutPlalM.
<br />But in most ca~'. thOSot _at-l'r
<br />,upplips can bf' t'l!'plenlshotd _Itb
<br />Ifpwyuf5ofldf"qultt'ralnflll
<br />NOl thp Ogallala. Evm In I
<br />raIny )'tat, littlt' _ater W"i!",-
<br />do...n to repJpnuh (bp IquUe't.
<br />"We hue to face !be fact !bIt
<br />111''' art mininl _,tU." ...Id Da-
<br />Yld Po~ of tbt Klnsu Stat-l'
<br />Board 01 A(T1eultut'l!'" DlvUloD
<br />......a'""Rf'JOUt'C"f'S.
<br />The dl!'pth of U\p Iqulfpr, Ind
<br />Jlmount of Wllpr IVllllblt lor
<br />
<br />Irrigltlon. VI"O!"! lrom farm field
<br />to larm field. dp~ndlnl on lb~
<br />i'POlo,ieal formlllons under th~
<br />(round Gf'Ologista oflf'n d~r1~
<br />LIlt 011'111.11 .II I buee ,pon~
<br />madl!' of pol'OV'J Ull'e!A. ratM'r
<br />lbln n an undtrrround pool.
<br />Whtn Kansas lrrlltltors .ud: -,,
<br />tl!'r from undf'r LIlotir laoo::l. "Itlf'r
<br />from, SIIY Nf'bruka dOf"ln't no..
<br />In to fill thf' 'Ip. even tho\llb
<br />Npbruka rllth! now has mot'f
<br />"Iter t>.-lo_U !han d~ Karaal.
<br />Wlltr I"an only mlrrat-l' 'bort
<br />dlstltK'H within the aquilpr. For
<br />Inst.lOC'P, a hrmpr _ho pum~
<br />hi' 1I'"e-1I dry hu pullPd 111 !bp
<br />Wiler from an Invf'f'l-f'od COrM'-
<br />,h.pl!'d Irf'a l1ltbelquU"er.Ovf't"
<br />Iff'II'" montM. "Itpr .Ill ~p
<br />bll"k tnlll lJIt COIlf', but not In
<br />timP to hf'lp with ImlaUon In
<br />onf' iT'Owlnl ~uon.
<br />
<br />5'_1' dK'llnn 11I1I'eJt"m Kalt-
<br />"'1 "tlb belJln to sho. up ID
<br />JIOu.ary. _hen ff'd.-rll ud,tllto
<br />IIl!'oclf"! mldf' annuli meuut"l!'-
<br />mtnts on lbout 1.!l00 _tl1&. The
<br />preltminlty (llu~ ,bow dropl-
<br />of 10 fHOt In IOmt _.11& In thp
<br />IntJearaloM'
<br />The _ont dl'('lIf1f"l1 _pre In thf'
<br />SOUth"Ht C'OtTIf'r of Kln.LIl,
<br />_hpre Irrlllat-l'd com, If'l"dloll
<br />Ind pack.!nl pllnls It'l!' 10C'atf'd.
<br />Tht aVt"flle Inti of tm,aUon
<br />.pll' In .outh_ut Kln'n
<br />plummf'tf'd Ilmost S fHOt. ae-
<br />cordln, to tht II'toll .urveTJ lb,t
<br />drop ... morp Ulan four Urn"
<br />LIlt dedln!' In U87 Ind euHy OM
<br />of tbe-' .tHOPf"t tD tb@' aqulle-r
<br />'pyel In !ht lut 20 ye.n. The
<br />Iverale dtdiM dunn. 1M lut
<br />21 vunlt ISI_l
<br />Pope nutloned that thp 1911
<br />
<br />flflUfl ml,bt make the ,itu.JUOIl
<br />look "one !haD It utlUllly lJ
<br />bKlUJol!' of I..t nlr', o:tlCl'UllI
<br />In111Uon IctiYlty: The- mu,are-
<br />me-nlJ typlcaUy are tallf'tl IrI
<br />Jaouary. NormaUy, lrriIaton
<br />quit pumpUtI III SPptf'm~r Ind
<br />October. Vo.bf'tI llIe pumpinJ
<br />.to~, "atn Wit buk into tJHI
<br />Innl II'OClDd the "ell" Intake-
<br />nll't, lod offlcla" nrll" rno,..
<br />Ict:urattreldlnp,
<br />lbb JPlr, .hm fa~rs
<br />pumpotd almoat III ..inter, _at~
<br />mlY not Mve had a eba!lCe to
<br />refill UlP rranl. Po"," ...id.
<br />Butatthf'nletbltrl~rs
<br />ate pumplrl' DO", thot ...ter r?-
<br />SOOf"('ft POI1DHT added, tbe
<br />aquller will h.ua Uttle ch.lnN 01
<br />refllllnl U1yt1me IlJOlI.. or at lean
<br />ll1lUI ratnl mum. "MIl 'annPn
<br />CID .10. tbe1r 11Tt11U:q.
<br />
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