07/03/2011 image expired

US Corn producers who source their water from the Ogallala underground aquifer, the largest body of fresh water on Earth, stand divided over proposals aimed at reducing the rate at which the aquifer is being drained.

The proposals, which were approved by the High Plains Underground Water District No. 1 in February, seek to restrict the amount of water used for irrigation. They have come under fire from producers who say restrictions could stifle economic activity across much of the South Plains. Furthermore, the ‘right to capture’ rules in Texas could present a problem for those trying to curb water use; ‘right to capture’ means individuals who have access to water on their land may use as much of it as they desire. Exhausting the Ogallala, which does not replenish, would see the land on which 20% of America’s grain and corn are produced becoming barren. 

Regulations to reduce strain on the aquifer

Regulations, some coming into effect as early as May this year in the High Plains District of Texas, include: A limit of 15 acre-inches (around 339160 gallons) of water per contiguous control acre per year, identification of “High decline" areas where meters must be installed on all wells and annual reports must be submitted, a reduction of allowable water use by an additional 5 percent each year that a high decline area exceeds an allowable use.

Other methods of conservation advocated by the USDA include automated irrigation, which reduces water use, and use of internet weather data to advise farmers on water use amounts. Nolan Clarke of the USDA Agricultural Research Service said “We need to develop new science and technology to make sure we can [preserve the aquifer]... We’re now in a worldwide water crisis, not just local crises.”

However, these conservation measures have irked many landowners; Max Swinburn of the Corn Producers Association of Texas responded to the groundwater district’s proposals, saying, "It is my view that these regulations will undeniably reduce agricultural production and the job-producing income it contributes to our area’s economy."

Legal conflusion in Texas

In Texas, there is ongoing legal debate over whether landowners or the state can lay claim to groundwater; Texas law acknowledges both landowners and groundwater district authorities’ rights to regulate water. The New York Times said last week that the debate over who has rights to groundwater “pits existing water users against prospective new users, and conservation-minded officials against businesses seeking to sell water.”  

There are fears that the actions of some landowners and agents such as Mesa Water, owned by oil billionaire T Boone Pickens, who plan to amass water rights and then sell them on to expanding cities conflicts with other users’ conservation efforts aiming to ensure there is enough water to go around for future generations. Furthermore, Groundwater districts such as Edwards Aquifer Authority, also in Texas, fear they could lose their regulatory muscle, and as such their ability to conserve water for the future, if the courts decide landowners have an absolute right to the water beneath their land.

Climate change could impact heavily on Ogallala water use

Researchers investigating the socio-economic effects of climate change on the Ogallala Aquifer have deduced that a predicted reduction in rainfall will affect the rate at which the aquifer is being drained. A team of researchers is currently investigating methods by which they can reduce the impact on the high plains area.

Dr Steve Amosson, one of the economists running the project, said "The High Plains' crops, livestock and meat processing sectors, as well as oil and gas production, literally run on water from the Ogallala Aquifer. However, this region is facing an uncertain future, after significant pumping for the past 50 years has caused water tables to fall generally across the aquifer."

The team has indicated that crops grown for biofuels could put further strain on the aquifer and impact on farmers’ incomes; Dr Amosson explained, "The current biofuels policy and associated high commodity prices contribute additional pressures on those water resources." The team recommends farmers begin planting cellulosic or drought tolerant feedstock to mitigate the rate of depletion.