Project Number: 6209-13000-013-08
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 01, 2006
End Date: Aug 31, 2011

Objective:
The Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas and the Texas High Plains is declining at an unacceptable rate. To ensure the sustainability of rural communities in this region, continued investments are needed in improved irrigation technologies, irrigation management, and agronomic research concerning water use efficiency, enhanced integrated cropping systems that reduce dependence on groundwater while sustaining profitable productivity, improved hydrological assessments of water availability and sustainability, socioeconomic considerations and wise public policy regarding water rights, and public outreach engaging all stakeholders. Water availability and quality issues will affect the sustainability of the region, including the diverse sectors of agriculture, the socioeconomic structure, and biodiversity and environmental quality of the landscape. The overall objectives of the program are: 1. To 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. To improve the design, performance, and management of irrigation practices and systems at farm and water district scales. 3. To 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. To 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. To develop and evaluate water saving technologies, including wastewater reuse technologies, for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and industries that process agricultural commodities. 6. To estimate the economic impacts of various water management activities and strategies at the farm, water district, and regional scales. 7. To develop a comprehensive data and information program for policy makers, producers, water professionals, and youth in respect to the Ogallala Aquifer and its importance and use.

Approach:
This 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. The project has seven (7) priority areas that contain subcomponents and additional research goals and tasks. The priority areas include economic assessments of water management strategies; improved management of irrigation and precipitation; development of new irrigation technologies; the integration of crop, forage, and livestock production systems; development of data bases and models to describe the hydrology and climatology of the region; development of training and educational materials to enhance the knowledge base of producers, water professionals, and policy makers; and development of new technologies to reduce water use in animal feeding operations. The developed research plan 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.