The Ogallala Aquifer Is Running Out — And the Consequences Are Massive

The Ogallala Aquifer, the largest underground water reservoir in the United States spanning 174,000 square miles across eight states, is being depleted 30 to 100 times faster than nature can refill it. This ancient water, which took 6 million years to form and held an estimated 3 billion acre feet by the end of the last ice age, is being pumped out by 200,000 irrigation wells at rates that will take 6,000 to 10,000 years to replenish. The crisis threatens one-third of America's irrigated farmland, which produces essential commodities like beef, corn, wheat, and cotton, potentially causing massive disruptions to food prices and rural communities across the nation.