Latest news with #KansasGeologicalSurvey
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Adapt or die': Western Kansas farmers consider alternative crops to save water
In dry western Kansas, the sound of artificial rain spraying from center pivot irrigation sprinklers fills the spaces between the small towns. Irrigation has turned this region into a productive agricultural powerhouse, churning out millions of bushels of grain. Heath Koehn farms with his dad near Montezuma over the Ogallala aquifer that supplies farmers with irrigation and communities with drinking water. He knows that changes are coming to the way they farm. 'Changes are going to have to be made with that aquifer. It's like adapt or die,' Koehn said. A lot of farmers in the area feel the same way. The underground water supply that used to be plentiful is running dry fast. Some areas might only have a couple of decades left at current pumping rates. In order to maintain life in western Kansas, farmers are contemplating pivoting to crops that use less water. Koehn decided for the first time to grow something he's never grown before: canola. He grew this instead of wheat due to wheat prices being so low. 'I've got some limited irrigation. I wanted to diversify and not just have all my eggs in one basket,' Koehn said. That change might sound minor, but it's a herculean task. The major systems that make up the complicated agriculture web are all built around irrigated commodity crops like corn, wheat and soybeans. Growing anything else is rare because it comes with more risk and no guaranteed crop insurance or local buyers. Koehn's farm is an example of southwest Kansas farmers looking to the future and trying new crops to save water and prepare for western Kansas to become more parched. The main problem lies within the crops that farmers grow. Traditional crops like corn and soybeans require a lot of water. The Kansas Geological Survey, which monitors the underground water in the state, estimates that 70% of the aquifer will be gone in 50 years. Statewide, the amount of water pumped from underground and sprayed onto crops averages out to more than 2 billion gallons per day. But Kansas State University has studied different crops that require less water and could be viable options in western Kansas. Logan Simon, agronomist for K-State Research and Extension, said the western Kansas environment requires greater creativity from those in agriculture. 'All of the crops that we're looking at here are going to be providing some sort of benefit in the form of a reduction in the water required,' Simon said. Earlier this year, Simon hosted alternative-crop schools around western Kansas, offering information on what options farmers have. The standout choices are canola, cotton, camelina and cowpeas, which include black-eyed peas. These crops not only require less water, but they can be harvested with equipment farmers already have and fit the same uses. Almost all commodities grown in western Kansas are for cattle feed or biofuels. 'The idea is not necessarily to replace all of these things, but provide alternatives to just build a more robust system,' Simon said. A canola crushing plant opened last year in northwest Kansas giving a new market to farmers. Canola compared to a crop like corn needs about 40% less water. Not only does this save dwindling water supplies but it diversifies how farmers make their money. Instead of just one industry like livestock feed, a farmer can sell their products to multiple industries. The crops can be used for human consumption, biofuels or making textiles. Alternative crops sound like they can solve all the water problems on the frontier. But so far, farmers aren't giving up their acres of corn and wheat for peas and canola. That's because farming at the end of the day is a business. Farmers need to plant what will turn a profit. 'Imagine that you just couldn't make a salary this year,' ag economist for Iowa State University Chad Hart said. In the current agricultural system, commodity crops like corn and soybeans are the most economically efficient, despite their water inefficiencies. Farmers really don't have much of a choice if they want to make money. 'You have to be willing to accept more risk to establish that alternative crop, because there aren't these built in mechanisms that we usually have,' Hart said. The agriculture system is built to avoid risk. Crop insurance, government subsidies and bank loans are all built around corn and other traditional commodity crops, not the possible alternatives. Southwest Kansas is one of the most profitable regions in the state because of irrigated agriculture from the aquifer. Corn profits can range to $160 per acre, while canola in a good year can hit $150 per acre. But corn has a stable market and is heavily supported by crop insurance. With a crop like corn, a farmer in southwest Kansas might lose more water, but at least they can guarantee some income if there's a drought or hailstorm. And they know that the local feedlots, grain elevators and ethanol plants will gladly buy their corn. The same cannot be said for a cowpeas or canola. 'Just because you grow it doesn't mean you'll have customers,' Hart said. 'Farmers have to spend more time thinking about how to market that crop.' And local communities do not want to stop irrigating altogether. Irrigation brings in more money to farms, and to all the things the farm touches. The local grain elevators, the feedlots, the truck drivers and the meatpacking plants. Congress first authorized federal crop insurance in the 1930s to help agriculture recover from the Dust Bowl. It started as a way to compensate farmers if a natural disaster struck and ruined their crop yields, which farmers still need today. But it also makes it harder for farmers to practice water-efficient farming. For example, if for whatever reason an irrigated crop fails, farmers aren't allowed to stop irrigating the failed crop because they need to prove they weren't at fault for the crop failure. These 'Good farming practices' are standards that guide crop insurance payments. And crop insurance and subsidies are no small thing. In 2025, government payments are projected to make up 23% of the total net farm income, a significant increase from 8-9% annually between 2022 and 2024. According to Iowa State Research Extension, approximately 90% of acres growing corn and soybeans were insured using federal Revenue Protection programs. Not only does this protect the farm's physical crops, but also all but guarantees a farmer will be paid even if the price for these commodities dip. In 2024, the U.S. paid farmers over $2 billion to grow corn through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program. But farmers don't want to only depend on crop insurance, they want to grow successful crops. Alex Millershaski, a farmer in Gray County, has seen a massive change over the years when it comes to how much water his land can produce. 'We used to have twenty-something wells on the farm, and we're only pumping four now,' Millershaski said. Millershaski is still skeptical of growing alternative crops, but having less water available is making him consider trying something different. He has seen some neighbors try canola and cotton. And he thinks next year he will give canola a try in place of his usual wheat crop. Canola doubled in acres planted last year in Kansas to 3,000. And while cotton is expected to see a decline across the U.S., Kansas is expected to see almost a 13% increase. Processors in western Kansas, like 21st Century Bean, make cowpeas more viable. They buy and process wholesale beans for human consumption. All those factors make Millershaski open to look at the options. 'Do you want to try something different? And it's sometimes just that simple,' Millershaski said. Calen Moore covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can email him at cmoore@ . This story was originally published by KMUW.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Earthquake hits area in central Kansas
DICKINSON COUNTY (KSNT) – The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that an earthquake was detected Thursday in central Kansas. The USGS issued a report stating that a 3.6-magnitude earthquake was detected at around 4:30 p.m. on May 15 north-northwest of the town of Herington in Dickinson County. It registered as a IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale meaning that some people may have felt the earthquake or noticed things shaking around the house. Kansas does experience earthquake occasionally, with some being attributed to the Humboldt fault zone, according to the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS). If you think you felt the earthquake, you can make a report to the USGS by clicking here. Restricted camping, recreation options take effect across Kansas For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Where do Kansans get their water?
(KSNF & KODE) — The Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) has released information to help Kansas residents know where their water comes from in honor of Earth Week. 'Bring Them Home' rally demands due process for deportees Kansas daycare workers plead guilty to infant abuse charges Investigation in southeast Kansas city after body found on city property Pittsburg hosts Spring Artwalk, celebrates area artists Pittsburg approves higher recoverable costs for Creekside Villas In a Facebook post Monday, representatives from the KGS broke down each and every individual county and what percentages of their water came from surface water versus groundwater sources. Officials say the difference in where Kansans get their water is often dependent on which side of the state they live in, highlighting the fact that eastern Kansas is known to get twice the amount of rain than the western side of the state, which usually gets less than 20 inches a year. Eastern Kansas is also known to be home to robust rivers and lakes helping to hydrate communities, while western Kansas has access to prominent aquifers, leading to most of their local water supply coming from underground. Click here for more information about the Kansas Geological Survey. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas House bill would add $20M for State Water Plan projects
A dog keeps watch over an irrigated field in southwest Kansas, where farmers are facing increased pressure from state lawmakers to preserve groundwater in the quickly depleting Ogallala Aquifer. (Kevin Hardy/Stateline) TOPEKA — A House bill would allocate an additional $20 million annually to the Kansas Water Plan fund to support projects for cities across the state. House Bill 2113 builds upon new funding from the 2023 session with House Bill 2302. It would increase the current annual allocation of $35 million to $55 million for the Kansas Water Plan, and from that amount an additional $2 million to the Technical Assistance Grant Fund and $6 million to the Water Projects Grants Fund. The money would come from the State General Fund. The House passed the bill 106-15 on Feb. 20. The Senate Agriculture and National Resources Committee heard the bill Monday. 'House Bill 2302 made a huge difference. This bill basically builds off of house bill 2302,' said Wendi Stark, a legislative liaison with the League of Kansas Municipalities, during Monday's hearing. 'It's helping to address our immediate needs.' In millions of dollars In the past two years, Kansas communities have requested more than $600 million for water needs with almost 600 applications. Stark said that of the 219 municipalities who applied in 2024 or 2025, 45.7% were from towns with a population of fewer than 500 people. Current funding allowed for just 11% of requested funding to be approved. The Ogallala Aquifer, the water source much of western Kansas relies on, is drying fast. The Kansas Geological Survey found that parts of western Kansas have 25 years of water left. Sen. Ron Ryckman Sr., a Republican from Meade, said his southwest Kansas district is 'always hurtin' for water.' Rep. Jim Minnix, a Republican from Scott City, introduced the bill and testified at the Senate hearing. He said he gets questions about where the money is going, since the state can't 'make' any water. 'It's a finite resource. What we're trying to do is save it for future generations,' Minnix said. When Gov. Laura Kelly took office in 2019, the state had not funded the water plan for a decade. Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed concerns over the state's water supply issues — Kelly's proposed budget includes another $30 million per year for the water plan, while the Republican-crafted House budget would give $11.7 million to water projects. Dozens of individuals testified in support of the legislation in both the Senate and House, with no opposition or neutral testimony. At the House Water Committee hearing on Feb. 11, the public works director for the city of Edgerton, Dan Merkh, said the city had applied and been rejected for both the technical assistance and water project grants. 'Cities across Kansas face many unfunded state and federal mandates,' Merkh wrote in testimony for the House hearing. 'The Technical Assistance (Grants) Fund and Water Project (Grants Fund) help cities like Edgerton address a variety of needs, from emergency connections to water-quality related problems to mitigating the risk of a sanitary sewer overflow.' Hardy Howard, the city administrator for WaKeeney, said 'it seems deeply obvious' that the water infrastructure around the state needs to be replaced. He said the city needs to replace an aging pipeline, which is the city's only way to get water distributed from the wells. Howard said there have been multiple breaks. 'HB 2113 supports a small increase in funding to assist communities with these critical needs,' Howard said.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Ogallala Aquifer drops by more than a foot in parts of western Kansas
Sprinklers irrigate a field in Hamilton County, Kansas. Decades of irrigation has slowly drained the Ogallala Aquifer. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector) Aquifer levels in parts of western Kansas that rely on groundwater for everything from drinking to irrigation fell more than a foot last year, Kansas Geological Survey scientists said Tuesday. The Kansas Geological Survey earlier this month completed its annual campaign to measure the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies the western one-third of the state with water. The Ogallala, the largest underground store of freshwater in the nation, has been declining for decades because of overuse to irrigate crops in otherwise arid parts of the state. According to preliminary data presented to the Kansas House Water Committee, aquifer levels in the groundwater management area covering southwest Kansas fell by 1.52 feet between January 2024 and this month, a larger drop than the 1.43-foot decline the year before. Western Kansas' management area saw a half-foot decline, on par with the year before. Northwest Kansas, which has been struggling with dry conditions, saw the aquifer decline 1.34 feet, a far more significant drop than the 0.47-foot drop between January 2023 and 2024. The figures are preliminary. The Kansas Geological Survey's official report will be out in a few weeks, said Jay Kalbas, director of the survey. Each year in January, the geological survey — with the help of local partners — measures hundreds of wells across western Kansas to assess the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer. The effort takes them to remote parts of the state where they stomp through corn fields to get to isolated wells and measure them using steel highway tape. This year, the surface of the water in one well was 485 feet. 'This is technically rigorous, difficult work,' Kalbas said. 'It's also physically rigorous and difficult work.' The Ogallala Aquifer has been in decline since the mid-20th Century. After World War II, a boom in groundwater irrigation transformed arid western Kansas into an agricultural powerhouse. But the aquifer refills far more slowly than farmers are draining it, leading to a gradual decline. Parts of western Kansas where the aquifer is especially deep still have decades of water left, while others are near dry already. State lawmakers have begun putting pressure on local groundwater managers to make a plan to slow the decline. But farmers don't have to stop pumping groundwater to irrigate crops altogether, Kalbas said. The survey has developed estimates for how much producers need to reduce pumping to stabilize the aquifer. Kalbas presented a graph showing farmers and other water users on one part of the aquifer needed to reduce pumping by 17.5% to stabilize the supply. Other parts of the aquifer might not need to cut back as much — or might need to reduce pumping even more. 'We don't have to stop irrigating,' Kalbas said. 'We don't have to stop using our water. That resource is there for us to use. What we have to do, though, is define the specific amount of reduction that it takes…to achieve stability.'
