2012 2nd Place Scholarship Winner Trevor Craig's Essay

Is it Too Late?

Trevor Craig

The Ogallala was formed ten million years ago from retreating glaciers and streams from the Rocky Mountains. This aquifer is no longer being recharged by the Rockies and low precipitation adds to its decline. Conserving this primary source of valuable water will take widespread awareness and immediate intervention from every aspect of our world as we know it. Usage in our households, cities, industrial entities, and most critically, irrigation, must be managed ever more strictly.

After the frighteningly low rainfall totals of this past year, conservation of our water has never been on the minds of our Texas panhandle citizens as much as now. This drought is a wake-up call to all of us. Our cities will need to initiate effective campaigns to their townspeople. First, through being good role models themselves, much like the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District office. The xeriscaping at its White Deer office is beautiful, yet conservative using native and exotic plants from more arid regions of the world. We need to see this technique transferred to all our city parks and properties as well. Awareness programs need to be encouraged through our local papers, city newsletters and classrooms. The programs developed by the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, such as "Stop Wasting Water" and "Major Rivers" are great resources for our schools. A new, water-saving tip should be in the newspaper on every publication as a visual reminder to all of us. I've learned several while preparing this essay. Washing vehicles on a regular basis is not that important after all, and using high pressure but low volume water nozzles conserves water. People can also install dual flush systems on there toilets, and low flow shower heads. The shower heads cost around five to ten dollars each; with these shower heads, a shower's water usage can be reduced 50 to 70 percent, according to the Federal Energy Incentives Team.

Irrigation takes the largest toll out of the precious aquifer. Being efficient when irrigating crops is not as easy as doing it in your home. This is why we should be most water wise with the farming industry than all others. Irrigation technology has come a long way in the last few decades. Never do we see tailwater along our roadsides anymore. Sprinkler systems such as dropline center pivots are very efficient and our landscape is dotted with these blinking arcs. Also, loan incentives to farmers based on purchasing water-conserving equipment have been of great value. The Conservation Reserve Program [CRP] also needs to be continued keeping acres upon acres of land from drinking up more of our valuable aquifer. Evaporation is the greatest cause of water loss to the farmer and the pivots help with this, but farmers need to refrain from watering on extremely hot, dry days with heavy winds. Instead, they should water on cooler, cloudy days or nights. Just as suggested on our own lawns, we need to be practical with the crops we choose to raise in an ever-growing arid region. Corn should not be an option here in the Texas panhandle. This crop is totally dependent on irrigation and should be saved for other areas of our nation. In our area, we witness corn farmers essentially leaving sprinkler systems running until the crop is close to harvest. Crops like wheat and maize have a higher tolerance for dry weather should be encouraged. Research is important and needs to continue towards creating more drought-tolerant varieties of already practical crops.

Industrial water conservation should begin with a water audit, tracking the use for several weeks. Form a team to evaluate water usage being sure to include input from employees. If the employees are a part of the decision-making process, plans are more likely to come to fruition. Reducing the use of water is the most obvious first step. Routinely checking for leakages throughout the plant, using flow restrictors where possible,
and also timers to use water only when necessary are all ways to reduce water usage. Recycling water in the industrial plant can be accomplished by reusing water when fresh water is not necessary. Separate the wastewater by levels of contamination and use it for non-contact situations like cooling or rinsing. Elimination of water altogether is possible with some industrial applications. for example, using more cooling fans and
condensers. Vortex tubes can also be used. This device takes compressed air into a tube and using generators, hot air is exhausted and cooling air is produced. This works for forged parts that must be cooled.

Awareness of all people in our cities, farms and industries is the key. Open minds are needed to create ways to recharge our aquifer, much like the technique of cloud seeding that is used locally. Putting our heads together with research, regulations, selflessness and abundant communication throughout the eight states that the Ogalalla encompasses will be essential in saving nature's gift to us.