In Texas, new technologies transform crop irrigation

Steve Norman, a cotton farmer in Graza County, Texas, discusses sub-surface irrigation as a method for growing crops in a region faced with a depleted aquifer.

Kenneth Andrews

Related Topics:
Agriculture, Water

The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States and the second largest in the world. It extends from the southern plains of Texas to South Dakota covering parts of eight states. The region heavily relies on the aquifer for drinking water and crop irrigation, but because of overuse, it is losing water faster than it can be replaced.

More than 30% of crops and livestock produced in the U.S. come from the Ogallala region, according to the Ogallala Aquifer Coordinated Agriculture Project. This puts a large burden on the region’s freshwater supply. Watch this video to find out how some farmers like Steve Norman in Graza County, TX, are implementing new irrigation technology to protect this valuable natural resource and make growing cotton more sustainable.

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