Abstract: The High Plains Aquifer (HPA) in the central United States is one of the world’s largest and most important aquifers. Like many of the world’s major aquifers that support irrigated agriculture, the HPA is being depleted at an alarming rate. This is particularly true in the Ogallala component of the aquifer in western Kansas, where continuation of current rates of depletion poses an existential threat to the viability of irrigated agriculture and the rural communities that depend on it. In this presentation, I will discuss current conditions in the aquifer, how we got to this point, and ongoing efforts to chart more sustainable paths for the Ogallala and similar aquifers around the world.

Biography: Jim Butler is a Senior Scientist in the Geohydrology Section of the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas. He holds a B.S. in Geology from the College of William and Mary, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Hydrogeology from Stanford University. His research interests include assessment of aquifers that support irrigated agriculture, well responses to natural and anthropogenic stimuli, and stream-aquifer interactions. Jim was the 2020 recipient of the M. King Hubbert Award of the National Ground Water Association in recognition of his scientific contributions to groundwater hydrology.