Agricultural Water Use and its Effects on Groundwater Depletion
Living in Florida for almost my entire life, water has always appeared as something of abundance. Oceans stretching far into the horizon, hundreds of lakes, aquifers, excessive irrigation for the numerous golf fields and the constant presence of rain. It's difficult to create a perspective of scarcity with so much around you. Yet we live in the age of information and an outside perspective is fairly easy to acquire if you are willing to seek one out.
I believe everyone on this planet is aware of fresh waters' pivotal role in maintaining life for almost everything. However in the 20th century, developed parts of the world passed through a threshold, allowing for the production of an incomprehensibly large supply of freshwater. Tapping into aquifers, diverting rivers, constructing dams and building wells like no tomorrow. Many years went by with very little sense of regulation or foresight, as whenever measured during these periods of major growth, the water tables were comfortably high and the demand for it was still relatively low. Decades went by with this mentality and it created a lack of refrain for freshwater as a resource.
However two, relatively new, key facts present the need for concern. First being that around 70% of all freshwater usage is for agricultural purposes; the second being that global water tables are at historic lows and demand has increased regardless. A recent study published by the New York Times stated that approximately 45% of the wells analyzed throughout the United States showed significant decline in level since 1980, additionally 40% of those wells came to record lows in the past decade. Another study published by Nature Magazine found that from over 170,000 wells and aquifers analyzed, 30% globally have accelerated in their decline.
Essentially, a vast majority of our freshwater is used for food production in some way, which makes sense knowing that a single cow drinks on average 8-15 gallons of water a day or that one almond takes about 3 gallons of water to produce. Scale that into hundreds of millions of items and the demand for fresh water is astronomical. Which is essentially where the world is at right now, the United States included. Yet our efficiency for water usage has not been increasing proportionately with its need. Organizations, scientists and farmers around the globe have been trying to think differently about their irrigation methods and water retention abilities.
Unfortunately such a solution hasn’t been fully integrated yet if it exists at all, with some of the best solutions just being water usage limitations, irrigating at better times or simply taking water from somewhere else further away. At times it can seem as if we’re burning the candle at both ends with the changing climates, extending droughts and depleting topsoil. No doubt there is reason to think of doom and gloom, but plenty of hope remains.
While many of our practices have become seemingly ingrained into the people who do them, much is changing in our agricultural world. Throughout this past decade in particular, an awareness of the problematic side effects of constant industrial farming, tillage, monocropping and overzealous irrigation has risen amongst the masses. Producing scientific studies towards more biological solutions that focus on environmental resilience, rather than short term growth benefits. Building a stronger soil foundation capable of holding the water it needs for longer periods of time, leading to a loosening of the pressure on our water supplies. As more and more of these methods become available, so do our water tables.
