Ogallala Aquifer Initiative July 2012 The Ogallala Aquifer provides about 30 percent of all groundwater used for irrigation in the United States. Background Conservation Funding/ landowners and land managers in Col- Stretching from western Texas to orado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Practices South Dakota, the Ogallala Aquifer New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota and Ongoing conservation activities in- Wyoming to install conservation prac- clude: corn, cotton and cattle produced in tices designed to reduce the quantity Converting irrigated land to dry the United States. Underlying approxi- of water removed from the aquifer, land farming; mately 225,000 square miles of the improve water quality and enhance the Planting non-irrigated permanent Great Plains, water from the aquifer economic viability of Ogallala Aquifer vegetation; is vital to agricultural, municipal and Initiative-area farms and ranches. Implementing nutrient and pest industrial development. Approximately management; 30 percent of all groundwater used for The initiative will: Adjusting cropping rotations and irrigation in America is drawn from the perennial vegetation for haying, Ogallala Aquifer. minimum of 20 percent on 3.7 mil- grazing, and wildlife habitat; and lion acres; - Current use of groundwater from the Apply nutrient management and Ogallala Aquifer exceeds the amount conservation cropping system center pivot and Sub-surface Drip of recharge through natural processes, practices on a minimum of 3.4 mil- Irrigation (SDI) systems. leading to substantially decreased lion acres; water levels in many areas of the Assist agriculture producers in Conservation activities are carried out aquifer. Additionally, intensive agricul- maintaining water quality; using NRCS’s Environmental Quality tural and industrial practices in some Help agricultural producers save Incentives Program (EQIP) and fund- areas threaten the water quality of this billions of gallons of water from the ing provided by state and local agen- important resource. Ogallala Aquifer; and cies. Assist agricultural producers in Goals/Objectives developing conservation plans and Socially disadvantaged and limited The USDA Natural Resources Conser- prescribed voluntary conserva- resource farmers and ranchers in the vation Service (NRCS) is committed to project area have access to dedicated improving water conservation efforts quality and quantity resource funding sources within the Ogallala through the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative. concerns. Aquifer Initiative. The Initiative offers a combination of Helping People Help the Land Partnerships The Ogallala Aquifer Initiative is a partnership effort. NRCS collaborates with local conservation districts, state agencies and land grant universities to complete inventories and determine high priority resource concerns within the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative area. The Ogallala Aquifer Initiative will Water Conservation - irrigation systems and water man- agement practices conserve water helping to maintain a clean and abundant water supply. Water Quality - Improved water management can minimize off-site water quality impacts from irriga- tion, such as; higher chemical use erosion due to applied water. Farm Returns - Water savings can help offset the effect of rising water costs and restricted water supplies. Improved water man- agement may also reduce expen- ditures for energy, chemicals, and labor inputs, while enhancing rev- enues through higher crop yields and improved crop quality. Wildlife Protection - Increased Initiative region as a result of the endangered interior least tern, whooping crane, pallid sturgeon, and the threatened piping plover. farmers and ranchers improve water quantity and quality in the Ogallala Aquifer. For More Information For more information on the Ogal- lala Aquifer Initiative and how you can participate in protecting water quality and quantity in the Ogallala Aquifer, contact your local NRCS of- www.nrcs.usda.gov under Landscape Initiatives. www.nrcs.usda.gov USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. .