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| Interesting article in the March issue of the Nebraska Farmer regarding the Ogalla Aquifer in Nebraska. According to the USGS report referenced in the article the total water in storage in the Nebraska portion of the aquifer declined only 0.1% from the 1950's through 2013. Clearly that lumps the entire area of the Ogallala in Nebraska in one basket and there definitely are areas in the state that have experienced declines in the static water level but I find that pretty amazing given the amount of water we pump in this state. A lot more recharge happening from the surface (rain, river systems carrying water in from the Rockies & surface irrigation projects) than I realized. Miraculous resource under our feet.
I am in the eastern portion of the state outside the Ogalla and we pump from a local aquifer. One of our wells has been monitored by the NRD since the 1970's. The static water level started rising in the early 1980's and peaked in the spring of 2012 after rising nearly 8 feet in that time. With the drought of 2012 the fall measurement in 2012 showed a 7 ft decline, but still higher than the initial measurements from the 1970's. After the wet 2014 we experienced the water level rose over 5 feet in one year! This particular well has been continuously pumped since installation in the mid-1950's. | |
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Ogalla Aquifer in Nebraska
