Publisher's Synopsis
Focusing on the Ogallala aquifer, John Opie vividly portrays the south-central plains-its natural resources, the history of settlement and dryland farming, and the remarkable irrigation technologies that have industrialized farming in the region. He recounts state and local attempts to manage and conserve groundwater and describes the operations, insights, hopes, and fragile future of several families farming on the High Plains. In doing so, he illustrates that the aquifer is not merely a local resource, nor simply a regional treasure: its influence is felt in farming, food, and foreign trade issues at the national and international levels.