Project Number: 6209-13000-013-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Jan 26, 2007
End Date: Jan 25, 2012

Objective:
1. Improve water management, both irrigation and precipitation, within existing cropping systems, that can decrease dependence on groundwater resources at farm and water district scales. 2. Improve the design, performance, and management of irrigation practices and systems at farm and water district scales. 3. Develop common methodologies for assessing current and future groundwater resource capabilities for the Ogallala Aquifer and the interrelationships with future climate forecasts, cropping patterns, and institutional regulations. 4. Explore opportunities to reduce the dependence on groundwater resources by developing and evaluating integrated crop and livestock systems that are used in conjunction with improved irrigation practices at farm and water district scales. 5. Develop and evaluate water saving technologies, including wastewater reuse technologies, for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and industries that process agricultural commodities. 6. Estimate the economic impacts of various water management activities and strategies at the farm, water district, and regional scales. 7. Develop a comprehensive data and information program for policy makers, producers, water professionals, and students (K-12 and college) in respect to the Ogallala Aquifer and its importance and use. 8. Develop and evaluate water concerving technologies applicable to the Ogallala Aquifer region of the United States, the Southern U.S. Great Plains, and the Caldera Aquifer region in Mexico. 9. Develop and evaluate effective strategies for enhancing agricultural productivity and enhancing rural economies in the Southern U.S. Great Plains and the Caldera Aquifer region in Mexico with variable climate and precipitation resources, expecially under deficit irrigation, dryland, and/or rangeland regimes.

Approach:
The water management research project is a cooperative project between the ARS Laboratories at Bushland and Lubbock, Texas, and with four universities located in the southern Great Plains; Kansas State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, and West Texas A&M University. A research team of approximately 85 engineers and scientists has been assembled to address the problems associated with the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas and the Texas High Plains. Rural communities depend on sustainable enterprises for their viability; therefore, it is important to provide a sound database for developing a fair and equitable water policy. This is a multi-tasked, multi-focused plan to address the complex issues related to insuring the sustainability of the Ogallala Aquifer and providing a sustainable rural economy. Each year, work plans are developed for each of the seven (7) objectives or priority areas of the overall plan. These plans are written by the members of each priority area team and are designed to meet the objectives stated above. Individual plans are made for one or two years, and funding is committed to those approved projects for the time period requested. Yearly workshops are held with stakeholders and these workshops are used to review progress and redefine research priorities. In support of the Mexico Caldera Aquifer project, the research team will organize a workshop to formulate research groups to address water management, water conservation, aquifer depletion, alternative crop/range/livestock enterprises, and regional impacts of climate variability and anticipated climate impacts of droughts. The workshop leadership will develop a multi-disciplinary, multi-location coordinated plan to fully address the objectives with a full research plan involving international and interagency cooperation.