World Population, Water Shortages, Mega Cities and the Coming Crisis

The depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer.

The Ogallala Aquifer is a shallow water table aquifer located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. One of the world's largest aquifers, it underlies an area of approximately 174,000 mi² (450,000 km²) in portions of eight states: (South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas). Depletion is accelerating, with 2% lost between 2001 and 2009 alone. Certain aquifer zones are now empty; these areas will take over 6,000 years to replenish naturally through rainfall. The Ogallala used to have an average depth of 240 feet; however, today its average depth is just 80 feet. There is Texas town called Happy which has lost all of its water because of the depletion Ogallala Aquifer so their farmers can no longer farm the land there. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that in 60 years the plains will be uneconomical to farm. We have built cities towns and farms around something that is unsustainable. About 71 percent of our water is used to irrigate our food.