Ogallala Aquifer Symposium
The Environmental Law Society hosted an Ogallala Aquifer Symposium on Wednesday, March 16, 2005. Participating in the Symposium were Susan Stover from the Kansas Water Office, Rex Buchanan from the Kansas Geological Survey, and Professor James Wadley.
The Ogallala Aquifer is part of the High Plains Aquifer system, an important source of groundwater for central and western Kansas. Water from the Ogalla is used for both farm irrigation and domestic purposes. There has been concern in recent years that the level of groundwater in the aquifer is declining, and that it will not last in sufficient quantities to support such heavy use for irrigation.
Mr. Buchanan spoke about past levels of groundwater in the aquifer, current levels of groundwater, and the current estimated usuable life of the aquifer. He discussed the geology of the aquifer, observing that there are several places with a great deal of groundwater available, and several places where the groundwater has already been substantially depleted.
Ms. Stover spoke about her work with the Kansas Water Office, and the activities of the Kansas Water Office and Kansas Water Authority to create more incentive-based groundwater conservation programs. She also spoke about the current regulatory framework that governs groundwater use in central and western Kansas, and the relative benefits and drawbacks of that system.
Professor Wadley wrapped up the panel with a discussion of the legal framework for groundwater management, and how the legal system might respond to the depletion of this important resource in the future. Professor Wadley reminded the audience that law always lags behind technology, and that better information about the conditions of the groundwater in the Ogallala aquifer will be required to drive changes in the legal system.
Susan Stover is an environmental scientist and licensed geologist with the Kansas Water Office. She heads up a team addressing High Plains aquifer issues, and has been active in that capacity for the last 5 years. She earned an M.S. in Geology from the University of Kansas, and a B.A. from the University of Nebraska.
Rex Buchanan has been with the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS), based at the University of Kansas, since 1978. He has been Director of Public Outreach for the KGS since 1984. He has an undergraduate degree from Kansas Wesleyan University, and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the co-author of Roadside Kansas: A Guide to Its Geology and Landmarks (1987); editor of Kansas Geology: An Introduction to Landscapes, Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils (1984); co-author of The Canyon Revisited: A Rephotography of the Grand Canyon, 1923-1991 (1994); co-editor of Geowriting (1995); and co-compiler of Kansas Groundwater (1993). He has been president of the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education, the Kansas Academy of Science, and the Association of Earth Science Editors.
Kristen Wheeler contributed this story.
