CASE STUDY: PERMANENT WATER The Texas High Plains: a story of two parts
Climate change is adding to these extremes by
Fertile soils, favourable growing conditions and
drive demand for more irrigation.
raising average temperatures and increasing evaporation and surface drying which, in turn,
irrigation from the Ogallala aquifer have made the Texas High Plains one of the most productive
Water changes in the Texas High Plains are
agricultural regions in the world (Weinheimer
therefore a story of two parts: first, the area’s
and others, 2014). Although groundwater is the
capacity for irrigation despite its warm, dry
main source of irrigation, the plains’ playa lakes
climate, thanks to the Ogallala aquifer, which has
are its most important hydrological feature.
also led to increases in surface water from
Playas are shallow, circular-shaped, rainwater-
irrigation-related spill-overs; and second, the
filled wetlands, though in cropland settings some
recent focus on water conservation efforts to
receive water from irrigation run-off (Texas Parks
reduce groundwater dependence and to help
& Wildlife, n.d.).
preserve the rapidly depleting Ogallala aquifer.
La Niña has long been associated with drought in the plains, as the phenomenon intensifies precipitation and temperature extremes.
Joel Dunn on Unsplash
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PROGRESS ON FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS - 2021
