Jeff Bingaman: “I rise to discuss the Ogallala Aquifer-- also known the High Plains Aquifer--region, an area that is impacted on a daily…”

“I rise to discuss the Ogallala Aquifer-- also known the High Plains Aquifer--region, an area that is impacted on a daily basis by groundwater pumping for agriculture. In fact, that region leads the Nation in the amount of groundwater pumped for irrigation purposes, with some 17 billion gallons per day being withdrawn for irrigation. I have for many years been concerned about the rapid groundwater depletion occurring in the southern portion of that aquifer. There are parts of the Ogallala underlying New Mexico that have seen a decline in water levels of more than 150 feet since groundwater pumping for agriculture first started.”