Ogallala Aquifer

Water is an essential component to life on earth. But rainfall and precipitation doesn’t fall over the world in equal amounts. In specific places where there is not enough water, above ground, farmers and localized water agencies turn to groundwater found in aquifer. Aquifers are one of most important natural resources in the world. An aquifer is a rock layer that is permeable to the flow of groundwater in amounts that are usable to a population. The aquifer form as water from the surface and seeps down through the rock and soil. The richer the soil the more water it is able to absorb and conduct downward over time. When the water gathers in the spaces between the rocks, it builds up to a layer of groundwater below surface and fills to its water table. There are two different types of aquifers that form: unconfined aquifer and confined aquifer.

The Ogallala Aquifer was created about 10 million years ago flowed from the nearby Rocky Mountains to the plains. Because of the changes due to erosion and less of glacial water Ogallala Aquifer is less and less dependent on the Rockies. The precipitation in the region is around 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) per year and the agricultural region depends on water from the Ogallala to help with crop production and also to support the municipal and industrial development in the eight states. The first tapped for irrigation was in the 1911, the usage was increased dramatically. The water table has dropped and has been unable to replenish due to lack of stream flow and precipitation from the Rockies. The largest drop has been in North Texas and also Oklahoma and Kansas.

There are some many significant impacts on the structures of aquifers. The most common impact is the overuse of groundwater. The rate of water extraction is greater than the rate of replenishment and the water table is lowered in an unconfined aquifer. Another impact is removing too much water from an aquifer that will result in the aquifer collapse. The water acts...