LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Experts say drought conditions last year forced farmers to rely more on irrigation wells drilled into the Ogallala Aquifer and drew down the water level.
Figures from the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 showed an average drop of 1.5 feet in the portion of the aquifer beneath the district's 6.8 million-acre coverage area.
The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported Thursday that water levels in the aquifer, supplying the region's agribusiness and towns, dropped at their steepest rate in a decade. It was the biggest decline since at least 2000, based on district numbers, surpassing a 1.34-foot plunge in 2003.
Steve Verett with the 41-county group Plains Cotton Growers says it's a reminder that "we need to be good stewards of the resource."
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Information from: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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