February 13, 2025
Journal Article

Unlocking Aquifer Sustainability Through Irrigator-Driven Groundwater Conservation

Abstract

Groundwater depletion caused by intensive pumping for irrigated agriculture is a global threat to economies, food security, and ecosystems. Pumping reductions are required to confront this threat, but their implementation is a “wicked” problem due to interlinked hydrological, social, and economic factors. In the US High Plains Aquifer, an irrigator-led conservation effort known as the Sheridan 6 Local Enhanced Management Area (SD-6 LEMA) is a rare example of successful collective action in agricultural-groundwater systems. In its first decade, the area has exceeded water use reduction goals and decreased depletion rates by over 50% without significantly affecting net income. In this Perspective, we highlight factors underlying the SD-6 LEMA’s effectiveness, and identify transferable governance tenets for other groundwater dependent regions striving for sustainable management of groundwater resources. These tenets include flexibility through multi-year allocations, regulatory oversight to support the irrigators’ plans, and a strong scientific foundation for sustainable agricultural-groundwater systems.

Published: February 13, 2025

Citation

Orduna Alegria M., S.C. Zipper, H.C. Shin, J.M. Deines, N.P. Hendricks, J.J. Allen, and G.C. Bohling, et al. 2024. Unlocking Aquifer Sustainability Through Irrigator-Driven Groundwater Conservation. Nature Sustainability 7, no. 12:1574–1583. PNNL-SA-194820. doi:10.1038/s41893-024-01437-0