the commons as a commodity Reducing the amount of water extracted for irrigation is connected to state and federal law, water rights, tax incentives, insurance mechanisms, and crop needs. Each state among the eight sharing the aquifer has rules and frameworks that allow (and unintentionally encourage) depletion. Water rights across each state both enable and limit use and distribution in various ways according to the flexibly defined 'beneficial use'. In Nebraska, surface and groundwater are subject to public management and oversight. Groundwater is subjected to Correlative Water Rights, and Water First-in- Time Rule limits surface water. An annual water assessment study evaluates comprehensive water conditions - ground and surface - per watershed. Kansas holds the jurisdiction of all water rights in its territory and allocates permits for use. In Oklahoma, groundwater use permits are issued per the land acreage held. Texas differentiates between ground and surface water through rights given to landowners. Surface water is owned by the state and allocated by permits. According to the Rule of Capture, groundwater belongs entirely to the landowner overlying it - sometimes called the 'law of the biggest pump'– in a shared aquifer, over-pumping one property can impact neighbouring wells. crops and stewardship The Great Plains region has a strong connection to water and oil extraction. Post-WW2 industrialisation led to the development of technologies for these extractions, illustrated in the maps. They show the site, county, and extraction section on a large scale. The reliance on oil prices in agricultural production requires farmers to develop strategies for reducing their water demand when oil prices rise. The crop type grown and how it is cultivated affects water demand. In the past, rising oil prices motivated farmers to explore new crops and diversify by combining perennial grasses to steer away from monocultures. Indigenous landscape management strategies and the integration of crops and livestock are rooted in the relationship between flora species and their support systems. Now, with the aquifer depletion, these practices should be re-examined. The main crops grown in each state are different in their water demand. From the 'thirsty' corn in Nebraska, consuming 22 to 30 inches of water per acre, cotton in Texas requiring 12 to 24 inches of water per acre, to grains such as sorghum, which only requires 15.5 inches of water per acre. As aquifer levels drop and droughts become more frequent, farmers adapt by reducing consumption and switching to drought-tolerant crops. Kansas farmers have reduced water consumption by a quarter without sacrificing profits, while West Texans are
transitioning from water-intensive to drought-tolerant crops and grazing. Ultimately, decisions regarding planting and management are based on acreage and well capacity. Thus, removing the misguided notion of water abundance strengthens our understanding of ecological systems and relationships. And a closer relationship between the farmer, the soil, and the occupiers of his property.
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on site review 42: atlas :: being in place
:: complex systems
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