America's largest underground water reserve is running out — and 8 states are at risk
Sustainability Awakening · 2026
The High Plains Aquifer spans 174,000 square miles under 8 states — Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, South Dakota, New Mexico, and Wyoming. It supplies 30% of all US groundwater used for irrigation.
of aquifer already depleted since 1950
average water table drop in Kansas since 1996
to recharge naturally — once it's gone, it's gone
80% of Ogallala water goes to crop irrigation — much of it for ethanol corn
Hotter summers increase evaporation and crop water demand
Each state manages its own share — with no binding conservation targets
Drip systems cut water use 30–50% vs flood irrigation
Sorghum and winter wheat use far less water than corn
Voluntary 20% use reduction targets launched in 2023
The Ogallala Aquifer took 10,000 years to fill. At current rates, large sections in Texas and Kansas could be depleted within decades.
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