With the recent rains, it may be easy to forget the drought that still grips much of Kansas and the western United States. It may also be easy to overlook the long-term impact of what we do with our water.
However, the Associated Press reported on a new study which forecasts that 69 percent of the water in the High Plains Aquifer in Kansas will be depleted within 50 years at current usage rates.
The report issued by researchers at Kansas State University was published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. It focuses on the Ogallala aquifer in western Kansas.
The study estimates that 30 percent of the aquifer was depleted by 2010 and an additional 39 percent is expected to disappear by 2060, the AP story notes.
The researchers found that natural recharge accounts for just 15 percent of the pumping rate. Once the water is gone, the study projects it will take between 500 and 1,300 years to refill it.
But, it was not all doom and gloom. According to the AP, researchers say water savings now could prolong the aquifer through 2110.
We see lakes and streams rising. We see water in the Arkansas River.
We cannot let these visible signs of increased take our minds off of what is underground. We must take the steps necessary to save this vital resource to preserve our way of life for future generations.
Dale Hogg