The next great American catastrophe, depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer

Very little news is out about the soon to be catastrophe of the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer. The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the largest aquifers in the United States and provides 30% of the nation’s ground water for irrigation. These areas the aquifer is located are some of the most productive ranching and food growing in the United States, providing cattle, corn, wheat, and soybeans. The scary part is it is estimated to dry out in as little as 25 years.



As you all know the Midwest has been in drought, particularly northern Texas and Oklahoma. It is theorized that the southern end of the aquifer, northern Texas, is near depletion and can no longer sustain cattle ranching and crops. As it stands now the Ogallala Aquifer is draining at a rate of 800 gallons a minute and climbing. As surface water grows scarcer the use of ground water will accelerate further decreasing the aquifer at an accelerated rate. A new dust bowl era will emerge but 10 times worse. Some estimate these new dust storms will grow and have the ability to reaching Washington DC! It’s now a mutual understanding that the depletion of the aquifer is imminent and the only thing we can do now is “provide a soft landing.” Below is a link about the ongoing Texas drought that no one is talking about. And I believe is due to the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer. www.abovetopsecret.com...
and Oklahoma
www.abovetopsecret.com...

The Ogallala Aquifer is not the only problem humanity is to face in the coming years. It is estimated that by 2025 2.5 BILLION humans will be living in extreme drought! Like it or not water will be the new gold in the next 12-15 years. As water dries up in the Ogallala Aquifer and other Aquifers around the world, food will become scarcer. I fear troubling times for us all in the future, one way or another.

Very interesting OP thanks for posting. I have heard of this issue before but I didn't realize it would be less than 25 years.

Will people be able to widely realize what is happening before its too late, or will it be one of those things where the change will happen all of a sudden because it will be possible to ignore until almost the last minute? Please tell me not the second, although that's probably what it will be.

Originally posted by SilentThundersGF
Very interesting OP thanks for posting. I have heard of this issue before but I didn't realize it would be less than 25 years.

Will people be able to widely realize what is happening before its too late, or will it be one of those things where the change will happen all of a sudden because it will be possible to ignore until almost the last minute? Please tell me not the second, although that's probably what it will be.

I feel its going to creep up on us. There was already a report out last week saying that our water bill will triple in the coming years due to "decay" of our water systems. But i think its tied to the draining of the Aquifer

Water is the new oil. I believe T. Boone Pickens bought a sizeable land claim over the aquifer specifically so he could tap and deplete this natural resource. There are currently no laws about withdraw rates. If you own the land above the aquifer, you can drill and use as much as you want. Jesse ventura did an episode about it.

In the future, he who controls the water, will control the world.

As the population continues to grow, water will become a valuable asset. I know that Lake McConaughy water levels have greatly declined and Nebraska is in drought conditions. It was a huge fight years ago about tapping into the aquifer to fill McConaughy. It is amazing, after the flooding last spring, drought is still an issue. I have read reports that we have reached our carrying capacity here on Earth.

In 2007 Colorado finally made it legal to harvest rainwater.

Im sure this will be the excuse needed to pipe in water from the great lakes.

You would think that instead of our gov't giving away billions to other nations:
(and as much as I'm against the gov't getting involved in anything...)
They should invest billions in desalinization plants across the country.
Then pipe it to the midwest, in order to sustain future vegetation growth.
I'd rather see our tax money helping growth in our own nation.


But nooooooo....
We must help other countries with their problems first.
Before handling our own, right here in America.

There's more water on this planet than dry earth.
So why is there a problem?
Too many people?
Money?
Ego?
Greed?

...insert your personal conspiracy here...


Personally I believe they aren't worried about it.
Because there no money to be made off processed water.

Originally posted by amongus
Im sure this will be the excuse needed to pipe in water from the great lakes.

I belive the states signed a pack to not release any of the great lakes water to any state that does not share a boarder with the lakes! Thats what ive read, never looked into the bill

Tell me what happens to all the Rain/Snow water that covers the states in the image? Do they all get drained into the ocean via rivers? or they seap into the soil and replenish the aquifers upto certain extent?

Originally posted by hp1229
Tell me what happens to all the Rain/Snow water that covers the states in the image? Do they all get drained into the ocean via rivers? or they seap into the soil and replenish the aquifers upto certain extent?

Some drains to the oceans and whats left seaps into the aquifer. The problem is we are draining it faster then it can be replenished. From what i read it would take 6,000 years to replenish to its original size if we stoped taking water from it today.

Water is something that is recycled by the Earth over and over. So where is is going? I'll state the obvious, as the population of humans increases, the people are the water. It's in our blood, tissues, urine. So when the Earth's fresh water is gone, the people will die and the water will return to the Earth. Balance will be restored again. We will be dead. The cycle of life. Birth control needs to be implimented to delay this.People who can not afford children and are on welfare need to be Norsdorm implaneted. If you can support yourself you don't need to be adding burden on society.

at the rate we're going i would not doubt at all that it will be depleted in 25 years. maybe sooner. people are focused on themselves and if water is still coming out of the tap in the sink they aren't worried. people need to worry.... however, it's probably too late.

Originally posted by frugal
Water is something that is recycled by the Earth over and over. So where is is going? I'll state the obvious, as the population of humans increases, the people are the water. It's in our blood, tissues, urine. So when the Earth's fresh water is gone, the people will die and the water will return to the Earth. Balance will be restored again. We will be dead. The cycle of life. Birth control needs to be implimented to delay this.People who can not afford children and are on welfare need to be Norsdorm implaneted. If you can support yourself you don't need to be adding burden on society.

Sounds like we need to develop Water Irrigation projects instead of fixing Bridges and Roadways

here is my question.... which to me seems to be a bit more detrimental than the water running out....

the aquifer is underground correct?

when all of that water is gone..... you have a wayyyyyyyyy bigger problem on your hands.....


we've all seen the sinkholes all over the world.....

well..... imagine the size of this one?

reply to post by camaro68ss


Thank you for posting about this aquifer, OP. This definitely deserves attention, as it can have devastating effects on our food sources. I agree that there should be a project for desalinization of ocean water before the fresh water runs out. The secondary effect of a dry aquifer is also quite disturbing...a very large sinkhole would be sure to follow.

S & F.