Groundwater Depletion Threatens Western Crop Production

Groundwater depletion in the U.S. High Plains—including parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas—and in California’s Central Valley could potentially impact crop production in these regions, according to a recent study published in PNAS. The authors show that 60 percent of irrigation in these two areas relies on groundwater, and if current depletion rates continue, some areas may become unable to support irrigated agriculture within the next few decades.