‘Time for a reckoning:’ Kansas farmers brace for water cuts to save Ogallala Aquifer

Photo credit: Pixabay / CC0 Public Domain. Article by Kevin Hardy of Stateline, and Allison Kite of the Kansas Reflector, Stateline.org. Phys.org – June 24, 2024.

An inch or two of corn peeks out of the dirt, just enough to reveal long rows forming over the horizon. Sprinkler engines roar as they force water from underground to pour life into dusty fields. Thunder cracks. The wind whips up dirt as a trail of dark storms looms. The crashing hot and cold fronts would probably set off tornado sirens — if there were any in this remote part of the state. It’s spring in southwest Kansas, a hub for the nation’s crop, dairy and beef industries. […]

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Governor Kelly Announces $57M to Secure Water Supply for Dodge City, Support the Ogallala Aquifer – Kansas.gov