MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR AQUIFERS THREATENED BY UNSUSTAINABLE WATER USE: THE CASE OF THE HIGH PLAINS AQUIFER IN KANSAS

The marvel of geology provided the High Plains region with the good quality, abundant waters of the Ogallala aquifer but it provided this resource in a climate that is not inducive to adequate and rapid replenishment, which means that we need to use it prudently. However, groundwater management is not the best exemplar of excellence in High Plains water management. States within the High Plains aquifer region have conflicting groundwater policies, and the geographic proximity of some of those with more stringent conservation laws to those opposing groundwater-management doctrines is remarkable.

Policymakers must consider the ramifications of policies designed to reduce groundwater extraction. Land and water conservation and retirement programs have done little to reduce groundwater extraction, although billed as water-saving devices. What could states do to further prolong the life of the declining High Plains aquifer? A number of water conservation programs in Kansas will be briefly outlined.

A measure that is a key management approach being implemented in Kansas to help sustain the Ogallala–High Plains aquifer is to delineate the aquifer into aquifer subunits on which to base localized management decisions—a rebuttal to the idea that “one shoe fits all.” To achieve this goal, accurate information on water use and water levels is needed. Fortunately, Kansas has exemplary programs of both water use and water-level monitoring on which to base management decisions and these will be briefly outlined.

While voluntary, incentive-based approaches to reduce total water use are preferred over regulatory solutions, when possible, history has shown that incentive and voluntary plans alone have not been successful in halting water-level declines. Thus, limits and timelines need to be set and checks must be in place to enforce strict administration of conservation measures. “Rights” should be replaced by “permits” that allow use of water for beneficial purpose over specified periods of time. These permits, which could be renewable, would have to be constrained by the current availability of water as well as the preservation of the resource base for future generations.