A new four year study from Kansas State University states that if current irrigation trends continue, 69% of the groundwater in the High Plains Aquifer (Ogallala Aquifer) will be depleted in 50 years. Once depleted the aquifer could take between 500 – 1,300 years to completely refill. Using past and present measurements of groundwater levels scientists developed a statistical model that projects aquifer water levels in Kansas for the next 100 years and the effects these levels will have on cattle and crops. The news is not all bad though. By immediately reducing water usage and taking advantage of new efficiency technologies, these actions will result in a substantial increase in the number of years that irrigated agriculture can be maintained.
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