Shrinking Water Supply Under Threat in U.S. Farm Breadbasket

A critical water source for U.S. farmers and ranchers is being depleted at a rapid rate, and nearly 70 percent of it will disappear within the next 50 years if the current trend does not change, according to a report issued this week.

The High Plains aquifer system, including a portion known as the Ogallala aquifer, is one of the world's largest.  It covers an area of approximately 174,000 square miles under portions of South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.

Shrinking Water Supply Under Threat in U.S. Farm Breadbasket: Report