The Invisible Drought

You may not know this, but most of Nebraska lies on top of a massive aquifer. The Ogallala Aquifer, named for the indigenous Oglala tribe, is the largest in the country. It stretches from the bottom of South Dakota all the way down to dry west Texas. The largest and deepest part of this aquifer is right here in Nebraska.

An aquifer is a layer of rock and soil saturated with water. When we drill down into it, the water seeps out and can be used. The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the biggest water sources in all of U.S. agriculture. Most of the food we eat is watered by the contents of this massive underground body.

The problem is that it’s being depleted very rapidly. While aquifers are eventually naturally replenished by rainfall, this happens relatively slowly compared to the rate that we are extracting it. This is a simple environmental concern to understand; The resource is finite, and it would be advantageous for everyone to have conservation measures relevant to the situation.

Solutions to the aquifer depletion are controversial. The plans usually break open regional squabbles. While comparing states seems like a fun joke now, it becomes serious when citizens actually need something from each other. One proposed plan is to divert water from the Mississippi River. This would provide a good amount of freshwater to agricultural areas. Another one involves the water of the Great Lakes. Many people in the Great Lakes region don’t look on this too favorably. Pulling water away from the Lakes seems like a scary thought. They are some of the greatest natural wonders on this side of the world. As of now, diverting their water is illegal due to the 2008 Great Lakes Compact. If the aquifer is drained much more; however, it is difficult to say what laws will change.

This is where environmental concerns begin to challenge our commitments. If the choice is between food and an invisible underground supply of water, many people don’t really care. If the solution costs a lot of money and doesn’t immediately help us, it can even feel silly to discuss it in the first place. Long-term solutions to long-term problems are difficult things to achieve politically. It is always easier to kick the can down the road as we do with so many other things.

The Ogallala Aquifer gained public awareness during discussions of the Keystone XL pipeline. (Editor’s note: see last week’s article about Jane Kleeb’s environmental work.) Seeing as the aquifer is the source of water for such a large percentage of the food we eat, it is easy to understand why this pipeline has been so controversial. If it did burst, as pipelines famously do, this could have catastrophic effects on the ecosystem. Petroleum is not something that anyone wants in their food or water.

So if you were feeling optimistic about the future of our environment, I’m sorry for this article. The aquifer depletion is yet another example of short-sighted and wasteful consumption that we heavily rely on. Perhaps there will be droughts and famines in our future, or maybe we’ll find a decent solution. If American quality-of-life does decrease from lack of water, it will be very important for us to try and handle it well. The best way for a group to survive is with a spirit of cooperation, solidarity, and brotherly love.

By Luke Morris