Our Billion Dollar Loss: The Consequences We Face from Rapidly Depleting Water Sources
Depletion of North America’s largest freshwater aquifer and water source for at least 20% of America’s agricultural needs has put us at risk for a water loss that is worth over $14 billion in agriculture and energy markets. This will only get worse unless sustainable water use practices are adopted immediately.
For too long, water as a resource has been taken for granted. Groundwater in particular is of utmost importance as it comprises the 1% of water on this planet that is actually available to us in usable form. Not only our personal daily needs, but also our energy, food, and a large part of our economy depends on it. At a time when long seasons of drought, coupled with changing temperature and rainfall patterns, are affecting the way America and the rest of the world is able to use water, it is crucial to understand the impact of climate change on this vital resource and explore more sustainable ways to use it.
The Ogallala freshwater reserve in the Great Plains of North America was formed by rivers and streams that cut through the Southern Rocky mountains and carried sediment to dryer ancient channels, filling them up to create the vast plains. It runs 800 miles North to South and 400 miles East to West, an expanse of 225,000 square miles across 8 states — Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. 80% of this land is used for agriculture and it relies on the Ogallala Aquifer as its main source of water.
Water that permeated the gravel was trapped in the aquifer, creating an age gradient across the aquifer’s depths. It was only around 1911 that this aquifer was first tapped into for its water reserves. The subsequent 50 years saw water extraction rates increase as the number of wells being dug annually rose to 80. After 1977, this water resource has become visible scarcer each year with water levels dropping by almost 2 feet per year now.
An aquifer this large takes centuries to be replenished. The Ogallala Aquifer, in particular, needs 6,000 years to replenish naturally. Does it come as a surprise, then, that this water reserve is being depleted faster than it can be restored?
The aquifer is naturally replenished through the hydrologic cycle, which begins with evaporation from the ocean, followed by cloud formation and movement, and finally precipitation back to the surface. The water that penetrates the surface becomes groundwater, and exists between the fractures and rock formations in the ground. Groundwater is now our second largest source of freshwater, but being consumed at frightening rates.
Groundwater depletion arises from two main and ever-growing trends — excessive extraction of water to fulfill growing demands, and a sharp decline in annual rainfall that is essential for replenishment. A combination of these two has lead to groundwater replenishing rates are significantly slower than groundwater consumption rates.
So, what does this mean for us? And what can we do about it?
Human demands coupled with climate change are scorching through our water resources at too fast a pace. Water as a resource does not stand alone; it stands with many ‘child’ resources. From steady food and energy to maintenance of climate and entire mega-cities, water plays a crucial role. Within the Great Plains region itself, the Ogallala reserve provides 80% of the water for Kansas’s daily needs and large amounts of water to cool the several biofuel plants in the area required for energy. Additionally, the Great Plains region is a huge agriculture and irrigation based economy that would crumble without sufficient water. A shortage of water does not only mean the loss of up to 20% of North America’s corn, wheat and cotton, it also means severe changes in climate and energy use patterns. Between energy, agriculture and climate-related markets, the Great Plains region’s value stands at a whopping $92 billion.
The Northern and Southern plains are predicted to suffer contradictory effects on account of water shortage and changing climate. While the Northern plains are expected to get increased precipitation and a longer growing season through the winter months, the Southern plains are expected to face prolonged high temperature periods and high temperature extremes. While decreased heating requirements in the Southern plains might play a role in partially countering the increased cooling requirements of the Northern plains, the radical shifts in climate, rainfall and crop growing seasons have severe impact. The National Climate Assessment of 2014 predicted up to $10 billion in losses from agriculture alone, and another $2 billion worth of losses from flooding and changes in rainfall distribution. This $12 billion did not even include the losses made by the energy market.
Despite these alarming facts, water depletion rates have only continued to grow. 6% of the water reserve is used up every 25 years, while another 6% of it has already been rendered unusable and un-extractable.
What’s more! We know this aquifer is not being replenished since many of the river basins that give rise to this aquifer have also been drying up at astonishing rates. With Missouri and Mississippi river basin levels each having dropped over 60%, andArkansas expecting a 93% drop, the very sources of the Ogallala reserve are facing depletion threats as well.
This issue is gaining awareness, but all states within this 8-state region are not equally affected. Some may not consider this an important issue just yet since there are inequalities in impact. Texas, for example, is more severely impacted than Nebraska, a state that still has a high enough water-replenishing rates to be safe from water shortages. Incentivizing water conservation and significant changes in lifestyles, practices and comfort levels is hard, but hope must not be lost. Many sustainability measures have already been implemented across the Great Plains region. The most effective seems to be a switch from flood irrigation to drip irrigation. Others include returning to grassland and dry-land farming, building wells, and replacing ploughing techniques with planting crops in the residue of the old. While this has not completely solved the problem, it has heavily slowed down agricultural water consumption rates.
The water shortage threat was identified too late; having gained in awareness and importance only after the 1970’s by when it had already caused massive inequities and health issues. The original draft of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that listed the basic fundamental health rights is evidence of lack of sensitization to this threat since it did not even include the right to clean water; it was just considered such an abundant and easily available resource. Many sustainability techniques have been implemented and suggested, but we are still a long way from making the water-friendly changes that are necessary during this time of crisis and climate change. Meanwhile, climate change continues to get worse and threaten our resources and rainfall patterns. Prevention of, compensation for and adaptation to water depletion seem to be the most responsible paths we can follow now.
To read more about the water crisis and where it stands at a global scale, click here.
