"Water, water everywhere may shortly become water, water nowhere..."
I posted this last summer during the drought. Even though we have had a very wet Spring (in some parts of the country), the problem of fresh and potable water persists. It not only persists in this country, buy also across the globe.
I love reading about and studying the life and legends of the Native American people. I have thought for many years there is much knowledge and wisdom to be learned from the Native Americans that is quite often overlooked.
The Ogallala Aquifer, located in the central Midwest of the United States, is named after the Oglala Sioux. The Oglala Sioux are one of the seven sub tribes of the Lakota people who along with the Nakota and Dakota, comprise the Great Sioux Nation. Although in English the spelling is slightly different, Ogallala definitely has its roots from the Lakota name Oglala (to scatter one's own).
The Ogallala Aquifer is appropriately named. As mighty as the Oglala Sioux were as warriors, as a people, this aquifer is truly mighty as well. A huge part of the High Plains Aquifer System, Ogallala is a vast yet shallow underground water table aquifer. Its size is mammoth - it covers an area of approximately 175,000 square miles which makes it one of the largest aquifers in the world. Farmers and ranchers in all of, or portions of, eight states are dependent on this aquifer for a good portion of their water needs.
About 27 % of the irrigated land in the United States overlies this aquifer system, which yields about 30 % of the nation's ground water used for irrigation. In addition, the aquifer system provides drinking water to 82 percent of the people who live within the aquifer boundary. The size and location of this rich natural resource have allowed the Midwestern United States to provide bountiful food to our people as well as become a bread basket to the world.
This year our nation suffered the worst drought since the 1930's. Massive crop failures were common for fields which were not irrigated, and even with irrigation, some crops were stressed due to the extreme heat. Many farms that did have irrigation used the existing ground water - and much of that came out of the Ogallala Aquifer. This has become a big problem. Why? Recently scientists have been doing extensive research of the aquifer. What they found is quite alarming. Even though aquifers do regenerate, the amount of water coming in and water going out is nowhere proportional. In addition, further research has found the aquifer is shallower in spots than previously thought. In other words, the tank is running dry. When it does, the Midwest will turn from the World's breadbasket into the American dust bowl.
Unlike other catastrophic events that will happen billions of years from now (like the sun going super nova or the Andromeda Galaxy colliding with the Milky Way), this event is right now. We have until 2030 - and that could be a whole lot sooner if this weather pattern turns out to be the norm. 2030 is less than two decades - 18 years to be exact. With the World's population expected to contain an additional 2 billion people by 2030, what will we do? How will we feed them?
Number one, we need to stop draining our aquifers for crop irrigation. This is insanity. We have the technology to manufacture (or capture) non-potable, yet suitable for agriculture water. I remember reading an article in the 1990s saying that in the next millennium, potable water would not just be the next oil, it will be the next gold. In a world awash in water (70% of the planet is covered in it), less than 3% is considered fresh water and a much smaller portion of that is potable. Again, we have the technology to fix this - I have seen it - it works. We just need the national will to do so.
Number two, we need to get out of the stone age on how we irrigate. Using rain wave irrigation in the middle of the day when the humidity is 30 to 40 percent is madness. The amount of precious water that evaporates is huge. We need to refine our drip irrigation technology so almost 100% of water used goes directly into the soil. To continue to use our existing wasteful irrigation technology is tantamount to burning our food or spilling our oil.
Like so many other problems in our country, this one is not being talked about. If we deplete our Ogallala Aquifer, all other problems will appear trivial. The prices we will have to pay for food (if available) will be enormous. If we address this now, we can not only save the Ogallala, but the lesser aquifers as well. We don't have to reinvent the wheel, we have the technology. This is a crisis which does NOT have to happen!
The wisdom of the Oglala Sioux is still available to us. We named our most precious water resource after this great tribe. We know the problem - we know the solutions - we can fix this. If we do nothing for the next 20 years, and lose our ability to feed not only our people, but also the World's neediest, may our children forgive us. Just as important, may the great tribes of the Sioux Nation forgive us for screwing this up.
More on our water issue coming this week - stay tuned.
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