Haacker, E. M., Kendall, A. D., & Hyndman, D. W. (2016).

Water level declines in the High

Plains Aquifer: Predevelopment to resource senescence. Groundwater, 54(2), 231-242.

https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12350

Haacker and her team analyzed the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer, an underground

water reservoir responsible for sustaining a fraction of agriculture in the U.S. Overuse of

this finite resource is already reflective in the decrease of groundwater level that has

negatively affected agricultural communities and will continue to spread consequences in

coming decades. They analyzed the water volume in the aquifer from 1935-2012 and

found a gradual decline in water storage and is only projected to decrease steadily in the

coming decades. Furthermore, depletion will extend across the Midwest and impact food

supply, the economy, and the environment. This group of authors are researchers from

Michigan State University. This article is targeted towards other scientists to highlight the

prominence of overuse and to encourage sustainability amongst communities that rely on

this limited resource. Emphasis on water management to better sustain agriculture is also

discussed in Richter et al. (Michaelangelo Marcellana)