Texas - Ogallala Summit Whitepaper

Authors: BELL, JOURDAN - Texas A&M Agrilife; Evett, Steven; Marek, Gary; MAREK, THOMAS - Texas A&M Agrilife; MEHLA, MUKESH - Texas A&M Agrilife; PORTER, DANA - Texas A&M Agrilife; JAGADISH, KRISHNA S.V. - Texas A&M Agrilife; STEWART, BOBBY - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2024
Publication Date: 1/4/2025
Citation: Bell, J.M., Evett, S.R., Marek, G.W., Marek, T.H., Mehla, M.K., Porter, D.O., Jagadish, K., Stewart, B.A. 2024. Texas - Ogallala Summit Whitepaper. In: 2024 Ogallala Aquifer Summit, March 18-19, 2024, Liberal, Kansas. https://www.irrigationinnovation.org/s/rpt_Texas_OgallalaSummit_WhitepaperFormatted_2024-9nk7.pdf

Interpretive Summary: The Texas High Plains (THP) region is a crucial agricultural production area in the state, being a production hub for food and fiber crops with essential contributions to the national production of meat and dairy products, cotton, soybean, sunflower, grain sorghum, and winter wheat. The THP produces approximately 55% of Texas corn and > 20% of US cotton. Mean annual precipitation in the semiarid Texas Panhandle provides 40% to 80% of crop water demand and the balance of crop water demand is supplied by irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer. As such, Irrigation accounts for more than 90% of total groundwater withdrawals in the region. However, decades of pumping rates that far surpass natural recharge have resulted in declining water tables that threaten future production of crops. The increased frequency and duration of droughts have also increased the strain on the aquifer and risks for both crop and livestock production. Researchers from ARS, Texas A&M AgriLife, and Texas Tech University cooperated to develop water management strategies such as transitioning to less water-intensive crops, concentrating water on fewer acres, deficit-irrigated production, alternative cropping rotations, and conversion to dryland. These were evaluated for their economic feasibility and effectiveness for extending the life of irrigated agriculture on the THP. Additionally, water saving technologies designed to increase crop water productivity were developed. These include surface and subsurface drip irrigation and automated sensor-based irrigation scheduling controllers. Strengthening agricultural resilience by incorporating water conserving solutions, systems, and technologies is crucial for reducing aquifer withdrawals and extending the life of irrigation-dependent agricultural production in the Texas High Plains. However, technological solutions alone will not sustain the aquifer but must be coupled with appropriate public policy that offsets productivity gains arising from technology adoption with reductions in water withdrawal.

Technical Abstract: The Ogallala Aquifer sustains agricultural productivity and rural communities across eight states in the US, providing water for 20% of irrigated land. The Texas High Plains (THP) region is a crucial agricultural production area in the state, being a production hub for food and fiber crops with essential contributions to the national production of meat and dairy products, cotton, soybean, sunflower, grain sorghum, and winter wheat. The THP produces approximately 55% of Texas corn and > 20% of US cotton. Mean annual precipitation in the semiarid Texas Panhandle provides 40% to 80% of crop water demand and the balance of crop water demand is usually supplied by irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer. As such, Irrigation accounts for more than 90% of total groundwater withdrawals in the region. However, decades of pumping coupled with negligible recharge have resulted in declining water tables that threaten future production of crops in the THP. The increased frequency and duration of droughts have also increased the strain on the aquifer and risks for both crop and livestock production. Increasing water demand, depletion of groundwater, reduced rainfall, extreme droughts, and elevated temperatures from changing weather patterns will likely exacerbate problems in the future. Because of the severity of aquifer depletion, water management strategies such as transitioning to less water-intensive crops, concentrating water on fewer acres, deficit-irrigated production, alternative cropping rotations, and conversion to dryland are being evaluated for their economic feasibility and effectiveness for extending the life of irrigated agriculture on the THP. Additionally, water saving technologies designed to increase crop water productivity are being developed and studied. These include surface and subsurface drip irrigation and automated sensor-based irrigation scheduling controllers. Other approaches and ideas have been advocated by the stakeholders, including restoration of native rangelands, enhanced pasture management, implementation of integrated crop-livestock systems, breeding less water-intensive and drought tolerant crops, promoting soil health and the adoption of regenerative agriculture methods. Strengthening agricultural resilience by incorporating various water conserving solutions, systems, and technologies can be crucial for sustaining aquifer levels and irrigation-dependent agricultural production in the Texas High Plains. However, technological solutions alone will not sustain the aquifer but must be coupled with appropriate public policy that offsets productivity gains arising from technology adoption with reductions in water withdrawal.