U.S. Water News Online
WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers are trying to add protections for the Ogallala aquifer to the farm bill passed recently by the House.
A plan that has been introduced is aimed at conserving groundwater by paying producers who curb water usage in the aquifer's eight-state, 174,000 square mile region. Nearly all the water in southwest Kansas comes from the Ogallala, which lies beneath 30,000 acres in Kansas.
``Our water is the lifeblood of the Kansas farm economy, and we need to do all we can to protect it for future generations,'' Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said. ``Without significant conservation measures, the life of the Ogallala is limited.''
Moran and Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., introduced the measure in the House, while Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., plans to push it in the Senate, which has begun work on the farm bill.
Besides incentive payments for using less water, the 10-year, voluntary program would help share the cost of irrigation structures or equipment that help conserve water.
The measure is aimed at improving how the aquifer's water usage is measured and would set up the High Plains Aquifer Council to coordinate conservation measures.
The House has approved a $170 billion bill to extend farm and conservation assistance programs over the next 10 years. A final version will be hammered out after the Senate passes its version of the farm bill.
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