Problem Statement: 

The population of the American Southwest relies heavily on the Ogallala Aquifer as a primary water source,

but water levels continue to decline.

In the event of a prolonged drought affecting the area, what can scientists, farmers, and citizens do to

effectively manage the limited water resources and avoid serious water shortages and dust bowl conditions

in the area?

Team Questions & Answers:

• What practices can farmers and citizens follow to help reverse the declining water levels? Farmers can utilize new irrigation technologies such as 

          subsurface drip irrigation (SDI)  and use of automatic irrigation systems that uses sensors to determine times when plant leaves require water and

          avoid overwatering. 

          Citizens can install high efficiency water faucets, toilets, and shower heads as well as educating family members on water saving practices.

One of the programs that will help in the decline of water is The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The CREP is a federal-state

cooperative conservation program that addresses targeted agricultural-related environmental concerns. One of the goals of this programs is to reduce

by 5 percent the Republican River and Ogallala Aquifer irrigation water used for agricultural purposes by enrolling 35,000 acres of land into the CREP

and converting enrolled land to native grasses, trees and other applicable vegetation.

•  What percentage of US agriculture relies on the Ogalalla Aquifer? According to a 2000 U.S. Geological Survey, approximately 27 percent of U.S. irrigated 

           land is located in area that relies on the Ogallala Aquifer. 17 billion gallons of water/day were used for irrigation and an additional 315 million gallons of

           water were used for public consumption.  

 According to the Water Encyclopedia, "It supports nearly one-fifth of the wheat, corn, cotton, and cattle produced in the United States." (Read more Ogallala    Aquifer - depth, important, system, source http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Ogallala-Aquifer.html#ixzz1azqX6Vnu).

• How fast are water levels declining? A report by the Environmental Defense Fund stated that water levels are dropping between 3 and 5 feet with a lifespan of 60 to 250 years depending on the area. Scientists believe it could take at least 50 years to fully recharge the aquifer. 
• What is the condition of the soil in the Southwestern United States today? 

 "Thus the effects of increased temperature on perennial plant cover and the correlation of declining plant cover with increased aeolian flux strongly suggest that sustained drought conditions across the southwest will accelerate the likelihood of dust production inthe future on disturbed soil surfaces." from USGS on Dust-Bowlification: Drier conditions projected to accelerate dust storms in the U.S. Southwest

• What are the long-range weather trends predicted for the Southwestern U.S.? 

         The following map shows some drought forecasts. The maroon, red, and tan colors forecast the worst drought conditions in that order. This is a
         starting point for data collection.

Here's another article related to changing climactic trends: http://www.grist.org/article/2010-08-12-ucs-article-drought-tracker

La Nina could worsen the current droughts: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907122209.htm

• What might be the consequences of a second dust bowl?

In addition to the same effects seen in the original dust bowl, here is an interesting article about some biological effects--a fungus disease that comes with increased dust conditions.  http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/valley-fever/Valley-Fever-blowin2019-on-a-hotter-wind

"The large-scale pattern shown in Figure 11 [of which the figure above is part]appears to be a robust response to increased GHGs. This is very alarming because if the drying is anything resembling Figure 11, a very large population will be severely affected in the coming decades over the whole United States, southern Europe, Southeast Asia, Brazil, Chile, Australia, and most of Africa." http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/04/07/207853/usgs-dust-bowl-storms-southwest/

According to Dr. Ted Zobeck, a research soil scientist for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), another occurrence of a Dust Bowl like the one in the 1930s is highly unlikely because of today's better farming practices as well as the farmer's awareness of the danger if these practices aren't followed. This however doesn't mean that dust storms won't happen, they already happen and they are a danger. http://www.texastribune.org/texas-environmental-news/environmental-problems-and-policies/drought-could-cause-rise-dust-storms/

• Are there still programs in place to assist with the prevention of another dust bowl and or to keep educating farmers on soil conservation and anti-erosion methods as well as other beneficial farming practices?

Yes, the main one is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This program protects millions of acres of topsoil from erosion by paying landowners annual rental payments or cost-share assistance so that they grow grasses and other vegetation instead of plowing their farmland. The contracts last between 10 to 15 years. These protective measures not only keep dust storms from forming, but it also reduces water runoff and sedimentation, protecting groundwater.

• Are the areas not being used for farming being covered with the proper plants/bushes to prevent the soils from eroding?

Yes, this is being done by the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Acreage enrolled in the CRP is planted with resource conserving covers to decrease dust storms and water runoff.

• What can be done and or is being done to increase the rate in which the Ogallala Aquifer recharges?

One of the programs that will help in the decline of water is The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The CREP is a federal-state cooperative conservation program that addresses targeted agricultural-related environmental concerns. One of the goals of this programs is to reduce by 5 percent the Republican River and Ogallala Aquifer irrigation water used for agricultural purposes by enrolling 35,000 acres of land into the CREP and converting enrolled land to native grasses, trees and other applicable vegetation.

Hi Team! I thought I'd get us started by sharing some reflections and questions: 

My ESS analysis was primarily based upon my understanding of the situation from the resources provided in this cycle. In addition, I have learned about the dust bowl in Earth Science courses I have taken and from Earth Science materials I have researched and prepared for inclusion in textbooks. I have also been influenced by stories from family who lived through that period and from literature written about that moment in history. For example, my Mother was a child in Kansas at the time. My grandmother was in Oklahoma and Texas at the time. Both had many stories to tell. I also remember the poignant tales of people who suffered during this time in the novel Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck.

Questions on the topic:

• Are my assumptions about the effects on the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere during the 1930s valid? 
•  What is the condition of the soil in the Southwestern United States today?*
• How much of the Southwest is currently used for farming?
• What is being done to protect the stores of water in the Ogallala Aquifer?*
• How long do scientists predict the Ogallala will remain viable if everything stays as it is?*
• What are the long-range weather trends predicted for the Southwestern U.S.?*
• What changes can we make to reverse water overconsumption?
• Do we need to make changes to the way we farm today? In other words, can we find additional ways to conserve water in farming? Can we find drought-resistant crops? Are we taking better care of the soil today than we did in the decades leading up to the depression?

My prior knowledge about the Dust Bowl arises largely from my instruction in high school American history.  The time period stretching from the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the resulting Great Depression has always fascinated me.  In light of current events and the crisis plaguing our economy, such events as the Great Depression have been freshly recalled in the collective memory.  Will we repeat these circumstances?  It has been said that those who do not study history (and heed its lessons) are doomed to repeat it.  Could this be so?  Could this happen with the awful Dust Bowl that long ago afflicted some of the richest farmland in our nation?  The scenario in this cycle poses that very question.

When I took American history in high school, we studied the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, two events inextricably linked.  We were told that the Dust Bowl resulted from overfarming and that farmers had simply depleted the nutrients in the soil because they were ignorant about good farming methods that would avoid leaching all of the richness from the soil.  We were told that, unlike the Pilgrims instructed by the Indians, these farmers in the Midwest/Plains region of our country did not know or did not practice crop rotation or fertilization methods.  Such approaches, we were told, could have avoided the situation.  More recent research I have conducted (viewed PBS’ “Surviving the Dust Bowl”)seems to imply that farmers did not have a care in regards to overfarming of these lands…that they were simply greedy and proverbially drunk with the richness of the topsoil…that the rich, dark, “chocolate” colored soil would provide an endless bounty.  However, once the damage was done, the thin layer of rich topsoil blew away in the wind, creating massive dust storms that gave the time and place the terrible name “Dust Bowl”.

My prior knowledge about aquifers is next to nil.  The sum total of my knowledge is that aquifers are underground.  I am guessing the an aquifer is akin to the underground water table, but that is only a guess!

An ESS analysis of the situation might look something like this:

B  > E and E > B

Overfarming and repeating the planting of certain crops (e.g. wheat) in the same location deplete the nutrients in the topsoil; future crops are not nourished and die; no vegetation can thrive to anchor in the soil; the rich topsoil in which the plants could anchor is gone, ultimately creating the event of the Dust Bowl—a vicious cycle is created and repeated

E > B

Human life is impacted as well because the dust impedes breathing and even results in illness from taking great amounts of dust into the lungs.  Cattle are affected as well.  Dust storms impact visibility, placing human (and even animal) life in danger.  Food supplies are impacted as well, since fewer crops can be grown in affected areas.

H > B

H > E

The hydrosphere (the aquifer in this case) would impact the biosphere and even the event if it were depleted or diminished too severely.  Vegetation must have water to sustain life.

Some questions I have:

If we are to avoid this scenario repeating itself (another Dust Bowl occurring in the future), I would need to know:

1)      Are there other causes in addition to the overfarming of planting areas?

Climate changes are certainly at play.

2)      If so, do these causes still exist? In other words, was a lack of water a factor in the previous Dust Bowl?  If so, the condition of the Oglalla Aquifer mentioned in the information for this module would be of great concern, since it was mentioned that the aquifer is not being replenished/is being depleted at a rate that causes alarm.

My understanding was that a prolonged drought combined with the depletion of top soil viability you mentioned above combined to create the Dust Bowl. The depletion of the Ogalalla was not, to my knowledge, a concern. The Ogalalla is HUGE, but the human population and its need for crops has grown considerably since the 1930s, so concerns about the possible depletion of water stores are more recent.

3)      Is there a need for education in the farming community?  How aware are farmers about the causes of the previous Dust Bowl?

There are definitely considerable efforts to educate farmers in the Southwest. I interviewed a scientist named Craig Runyan about the effort a few months ago. He works at the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute: http://wrri.nmsu.edu/about/mission.html

The national effort website is here: http://niwr.net/

4)      Was there a climactic cause?  In one of the readings associated with this module, there is mention that elevated temperatures in Atlantic waters impacted the Gulf Stream and that it dropped lower, depriving the region affected by the Dust Bowl of needed rains.  It is further mentioned that NASA scientists have postulated that the La Nina and El Nino weather patterns (which we have experienced in recent years) may have had an impact on the previous Dust Bowl.

I believe I read in one of the course readings that El Nino impacted the Dust Bowl conditions, but that a more long-term (rather than seasonal) drought is predicted for the American Southwest, suggesting this could be a far worse, longer-reaching problem. 

This is a very interesting topic especially with the massive drought Texas is currently under. When I was visiting friends and family this summer, I was told they needed 15 inches of rain to get them into severe drought conditions. If you look at the link below, you can see that the majority of Texas is under extreme and exceptional drought conditions. Water restrictions have been put on most communities,. and certain recreational spots such as lakes and rivers have been shut down to the public due to abnormally low water levels. What's even scarier is that some experts are predicting these conditions could last for another 15 years. It is impossible to realize the severity of such an ecological disaster.

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

These are the questions I have regarding the topic:

How much rain is needed to replenish the Ogalalla Aquifer?  Although the Ogallala can be replenished by rainfall, not all of the rainwater goes directly into the aquifer.  What is the rate of recharge by rainfall?

What practices can farmers and citizens follow to help reverse the declining water levels?  Can they irrigate more efficiently?

Are there any other alternative water sources other than the Ogalalla Aquifer?  There are alternatives within the Ogallala.  There are untapped "reserves" (for lack of a better term) that are currently difficult to access.  If these stores or "reserves" could be moved into the "saturated zone", they could be utilized for irrigation and other purposes.

Are there methods to route water from areas that have suffered major flooding such as those caused by Hurricane Irene?  See above.

What is the growth rate in population for the area relying on the Ogalalla Aquifer?

What percentage of US agriculture relies on the Ogalalla Aquifer?  

According to the Water Encyclopedia, "It supports nearly one-fifth of the wheat, corn, cotton, and cattle produced in the United States."
Read more: Ogallala Aquifer - depth, important, system, source http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Ogallala-Aquifer.html#ixzz1azqX6Vnu

ESS Analysis:

E>A>B

Dust clouds put excessive amounts of contaminants in our atmosphere. This can cause respiratory complications for humans and animals in the area. These clouds could cause bronchitis, ashtma, and chronic upper respiratory infections. Effects can be long lasting and will affect younger and older individuals more, as well as those already suffering from respiratory ailments.

E>A>B>B

Extreme amounts of dust in our atmosphere blocks out sunlight which could lead to vegetation suffering due to not having sun providing energy needed for photosynthesis. Lower vegetation levels means a smaller food supply for humans and animals.

E>H>B

Great amounts of dust will settle in water supplies, killing marine life as well as polluting drinking sources for animals and humans. Humans might be able to overcome this with our technology and water treatment plants, however animals will be at great risk.

The Dust Bowl was a result of poor land-management, poor irrigation and fertilization and long periods of drought which left the top soil dry and barren, leaving the soils to the winds forming dust storms (wind erosion) and runoff during heavy rains (water erosion). The Dust Bowl continued until the return of wetter weather which in turn increased ground cover.

Questions:

1. How much of the area is being used for farming?

2. Are the areas not being used for farming being covered with the proper plants/bushes to prevent the soils from eroding?

Yes, this is being done by the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Acreage enrolled in the CRP is planted with resource conserving covers to decrease dust storms and water runoff.

3. What can be done and or is being done to increase the rate in which the Ogallala Aquifer recharges?

One of the programs that will help in the decline of water is The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The CREP is a federal-state cooperative conservation program that addresses targeted agricultural-related environmental concerns. One of the goals of this programs is to reduce by 5 percent the Republican River and Ogallala Aquifer irrigation water used for agricultural purposes by enrolling 35,000 acres of land into the CREP and converting enrolled land to native grasses, trees and other applicable vegetation.

4. Are there still programs in place to assist with the prevention of another dust bowl and or to keep educating farmers on soil conservation and anti-erosion methods as well as other beneficial farming practices?

Yes, the main one is the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This program protects millions of acres of topsoil from erosion by paying landowners annual rental payments or cost-share assistance so that they grow grasses and other vegetation instead of plowing their farmland. The contracts last between 10 to 15 years. These protective measures not only keep dust storms from forming, but it also reduces water runoff and sedimentation, protecting groundwater.

References:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr08/aquifer0408.htm

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/texas-drought-could-last-15-years-170156561.html

http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/

http://www.ethanolproducer.com/articles/3570/the-future-of-the-ogallala-aquifer/

http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Ogallala-Aquifer.html

USDA Farm Service Agency, Conservation Programs, 9/29/2011: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp 

USDA Farm Service Agency, Emergency Haying and Grazing, 10/04/2011: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp-eg

USDA Farm Service Agency, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program - Colorado Republican River, March 2011:

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/newsReleases?area=home&subject=empl&topic=pfs&newstype=prfactsheet&type=detail&item=pf_20110315_consv_en_crepcorr0.html

Choices, The Effect of Irrigation Technology on Groundwater Use, 3rd Quarter 2010|25(3): http://www.choicesmagazine.org/magazine/article.php?article=147

Mission 2012, Clean Water: http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2012/finalwebsite/problem/groundwater.shtml