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“INTRODUCTION OF THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS GROUNDWATER RESOURCE CONSERVATION ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1088 on June 23, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS GROUNDWATER RESOURCE
CONSERVATION ACT
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HON. TOM UDALL
of new mexico
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 22, 2000
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce legislation which will bring focus to an issue that concerns the long-
term economic viability of communities in much of America's heartland: the southern High plains stretching from the middle of Kansas, the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma, the eastern portion of Colorado, and the eastern counties of my home state of New Mexico.
Much of the area that I just described is farming country and much of its economy is linked to the Ogallala aquifer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service recently determined that there are over six million acres of irrigated farmland overlying the southern Ogallala. These farms use between six and nine million acre-feet of water annually. The problem however, is that the aquifer is being depleted very quickly. In just seventeen years we have seen large areas of the southern aquifer experience a 10- to 20-foot drop in their water table. These decreased levels will negatively affect aquifers used for irrigation, and for municipal water on the southern High Plains.
The problems facing the groundwater resources on the southern High Plains is a multi-state issue with significant economic and social consequences for America. Ignoring the problem and continuing uses to go unabated invites tremendous economic dislocation for a large portion of our country.
To address this issue I am introducing the Southern High Plains Groundwater Resource Conservation Act. This bill recognizes that accurate scientific information about groundwater resources is necessary to make good decisions.
It calls upon the U.S. Geological Survey to develop mapping, modeling, and monitoring strategies for the Southern Ogallala, to provide a report to Congress and relevant states with maps and information, and to renew and update that report every year.
It also acknowledges that a sound water conservation plan must be developed on a multiyear goal. Conservation measures must be implemented over a large area in order to observe a long-term groundwater trend. This bill would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide planning assistance on a cost-share basis to states, tribes, counties, conservation districts, and other local government units to create water conservation plans designed to benefit their groundwater resource over at least 20 years.
Lastly, this bill will provide two primary forms of assistance for groundwater conservation on farms. They are a cost-share assistance program to upgrade the water use efficiency of farming equipment, and the creation of an Irrigated Land Reserve.
The cost-share program is based on the upfront costs frequently prohibitive for modern irrigation methods. It is estimated that an initial $20,000 in Federal investment in equipment on a cost-share basis would save between 325 to nearly 490 acre-feet of water over a ten year period.
The Irrigated Land Reserve is designed to convert 10% or approximately 600,000 acres of irrigated farmland to dryland agriculture. Because dryland farming is less productive than irrigation, this bill would provide for a rental rate to farmers to ease the economic impact of changing over. When fully implemented this program can potentially save between 600,000 and 900,000 acre-feet of water per year at a cost of $33 to $50 per acre-foot.
There is a pressing need to conserve this valuable aquifer, we must acknowledge that this is a precious commodity that is worth saving. It's good for the southern High Plains and it's good for our Nation.
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