The Mississippi Delta, the MAV and the World: A Groundwater Crisis— Is there any …wrri.msstate.edu/conference/pdf/johnson_david2015.pdf · 2015-05-06 · The Mississippi Delta,

The Mississippi Delta, the MAV and the World: A Groundwater Crisis—

Is there any hope?

David R. Johnson USACE Vicksburg

On average we drink 4 liters of water a day, but the food we eat each day

requires 2000 liters of water to produce.

We are currently mining both ancient and alluvial water to produce the food needed to feed the world, where will the water come from in the future?

Website: The Hidden Water We Use

How Much Water is Embedded in Everyday Life?

Crop Gal/lb liters/lb% World

WaterWheat 132 500 12Corn 108 409 8Rice 449 1700 21Soybeans 216 818 4.5Chicken 468 1773Pork 576 2182Beef 1799 6810

45.5% of annual

water use

World Water Use by Product Categories

Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y., 2011. National Water Footprint Accounts: The Green, Blue, and Grey Water Footprint of Production and Consumption, Value of Water Research Report Series No. 50., United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – Institute of Water Education (UNESCO-IHE).

1385 m3/cap/yr

92% Agriculture – 4.5% Industrial Production – 3.5% Domestic Water Supply

27%22%

World Water Use

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

1960

1964

1968

1972

1976

1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

2016

2020

2024

2028

2032

2036

2040

2044

2048

2052

2056

2060

2064

2068

2072

2076

2080

Non-renew

Ground

Precipitation

Future World Water Use

Wikipedia: World population based on U.N. estimates. (Units are km3/year)

Assumes that there is sufficient additional land available for crops

2015

Internal and External (Virtual)World Water Use

Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y., 2011. National Water Footprint Accounts: The Green, Blue, and Grey Water Footprint of Production and Consumption, Value of Water Research Report Series No. 50., UNESCO-IHE.

Internal = domestic use External = exports

Global Water Stress

Y. Wada, L.P.H. van Beek, and M.F.P. Bierkens. 2012: Nonsustainable groundwater sustaining irrigation: A global assessment, Water Resources Research, Vol. 48.

Rates of Global Groundwater Depletion (km3/yr)

Y. Wada, L.P.H. van Beek, and M.F.P. Bierkens. 2012: Nonsustainable groundwater sustaining irrigation: A global assessment, Water Resources Research, Vol. 48.

0-1 1-5 5-10 10-50 50-100 100-200

a. Groundwater abstraction by countryb. Gross Irrigation demandc. Gridded groundwater abstraction

a b

c

a.

World Water Footprint by Country

Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y., 2010. The green, blue, and grey water footprint of crops and derived crop products, Value of Water Research Report Series No. 47., UNESCO-IHE.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

India China USA Brazil Russia Indonesia Nigeria Argentina Canada Pakistan

Green

Blue

Grey

World Population (2008) MillionsChina 1,333.00India 1,140.00United States 304.00Indonesia 228.00Brazil 192.00Pakistan 166.00Bangladesh 160.00Nigeria 151.00Russia 142.00Japan 128.00World Total 6,688.00

Units are Gm3/yr or Km3/yr

World Water Footprint by Basin


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Green

Blue

Grey

Km3/yr

World Water Use by Crop


0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Wheat Maize Rice Apples Soybean Sugarcane Coffee Rapeseed Cotton

Green

Blue

Grey

Km3/yr

Aquifer Foot Prints

Gleeson, T. et al., 2012. ‘Water balance of global aquifers revealed by groundwater footprint,’ Nature, Vol. 488

Aquifer Foot Print = the area needed to recharge the aquifer at the current rate of use.

Aquifer Foot Prints

Gleeson, T. et al., 2012. ‘Water balance of global aquifers revealed by groundwater footprint,’ Nature, Vol. 488

Aquifer Country GF (106 km2) AA (106 km2) GF/AAUpper Ganges India, Pakistan 26.1 (7.5) 0.48 54.2North Arabian Saudi Arabia 17.3 (4.7) 0.36 48.3South Arabian Saudi Arabia 9.5 (3.6) 0.25 38.5Persian Iran 8.4 (3.7) 0.42 19.7South Caspian Iran 5.9 (2.0) 0.06 98.3Western Mexico Mexico 5.5 (2.0) 0.21 26.6High Plains USA 4.5 (1.2) 0.50 9.0Lower Indus India, Pakistan 4.2 (1.5) 0.23 18.4Nile Delta Egypt 3.1 (0.8) 0.10 31.7

Danube Basin Hungary, Austria, Romania 2.4 (0.8) 0.32 7.4Central Mexico Mexico 1.8 (0.5) 0.20 9.1North China Plain China 1.8 (0.6) 0.23 7.9Northern China China 1.4 (0.6) 0.31 4.5

North Africa Algeria, Tunisia, Libya 0.9 (0.3) 0.36 2.6Central Valley USA 0.4 (0.2) 0.07 6.4Other aquifers 38.6 (10.8) 34.17 1.1All aquifers 131.8 (24.9) 38.27 3.5

Aquifers are groundwater basins that recharge at > 2mm/year AA = aquifer areaGF = groundwater footprint

Water use and aquifers in the U.S.

Principal Aquifers in the U.S.

USGS Circular 1279, Estimated Withdrawals from Principal Aquifers in the United States, 2000.

Fresh-groundwater use in the U.S.


0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000

Irrigation

Public Supply

Self-supplied Industrial 4.7%

20.9%

74.4%

MGD

Worldwide 16% of the cropland is irrigated. The irrigated cropland produces 40 – 51% of the food.

Groundwater use in the U.S. by aquifer


0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000 20000

High PlainsCentral Valley

Mississippi River alluvialBasin and Range basin-fill

FloridanGlacial sand and gravelCalifornia Coastal Basin

Snake River Plain basaltic-rockCoastal lowlands

Alluvial aquifersRio Grande

Northern Atlantic Coastal PlainMississippi Embayment

Columbia Plateau basaltic-rockPacific Northwest basin-fillSoutheastern Coastal Plain

BiscayneEdwards-Trinity

Surficial aquifer systemPacific Northwest basaltic-rock

MGD

Cumulative groundwater depletion in 40 aquifers, 1900-2008

USGS Scientific Investigations Report 5079, 2013, Groundwater Depletion in the United States (1900-2008).

Km3

Groundwater use in the High Plains Aquifer


0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000

Colorado

Kansas

Nebraska

New Mexico

Oklahoma

South Dakato

Texas

Wyoming

Industry

Public

Irrigation

MGD

Groundwater use in the Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer


0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000

Arkansas

Louisiana

Mississippi

Missouri

Tennessee

Industry

Public

Irrigation

MGD

Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer

Conjunctive Water Use Issues in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

• How much can we save through conservation?• Regardless of the above answer- the current rate

of aquifer utilization is not sustainable.• New water supplies must be developed to meet

the future demand for water.• No single state/agency is in charge of the aquifer.• The water use laws vary significantly by state.• The states are reluctant to pass laws which might

be interpreted as restricting landowner water rights.

Groundwater depletion occurs when groundwater abstraction exceeds the groundwater recharge over extensive

areas for prolonged periods. When persistent groundwater depletion

occurs, this leads to falling groundwater levels.

Groundwater Availability of the Mississippi Embayment, USGS Professional Paper 1785, 2011.

Net loss in storage = 16.4 million Ac-ft

Water level change from predevelopment to 2007 in the Mississippi River alluvial aquifer

Predicted water level change of the dry scenario in the Mississippi River alluvial aquifer to 2038

Groundwater Availability of the Mississippi Embayment, USGS Professional Paper 1785, 2011

50.1 to 100

0.1 to 50

-24.9 to 0

-49.9 to -25

-74.9 to -50

-99.9 to -75

-130 to -100

Change in elevation

Consequences of declining aquifer levels

• Additional pumping costs for crop irrigation• Surface streams lose base flow• Aquatic life adversely impacted• Waste load assimilation reduced• Reduced water for navigation• Reduced water quality

How does today’s weather and the predicted changes in weather

patterns affect water demands?

Average Annual Precipitation in the conterminous U.S. for 1980-1997 as

determined by the DAYMET model

Healy, R.W., Winter, T.C., LaBaugh, J.W., and Franke, O.L., 2007, Water Budgets: Foundations for Effective Water-Resources and Environmental Management, USGS Circular 1308

Inches0-2222.1-37.237.3-51.351.4-79.679.7-279.1

Potential Evapotranspiration rates and the difference between annual precipitation and evapotranspiration

Healy, R.W., Winter, T.C., LaBaugh, J.W., and Franke, O.L., 2007, Water Budgets: Foundations for Effective Water-Resources and Environmental Management, USGS Circular 1308

0-22.1 inches22.2-27.928.0-34.534.6-42.242.3-65.4

-63-0 0-12.512.6-34.134.2-72.372.4-262

Freshwater Irrigation Withdrawal 2005

Electric Power Research Institute,”Water Use for Electricity Generation and Other Sectors: Recent Changes (1985-2005) and Future Projections (2005-2030), 2011 Technical Report

Available Precipitation by County


Effective precipitation is the available precipitation that occurs during the crop growing season. The Mississippi Alluvial Valley receives on average 14 inches of precipitation during the crop season, which is less than the ET demand for those months.

Total freshwater Withdrawal by County


0.0 – 0.1

0.1 – 0.5

0.5 - 1.0

1.0 – 5.0

5.0 – 10.0

> 10.0

Inches / year

Mean Groundwater Recharge (inches/yr)


0 – 2.5

2.5 – 5.0

5.0 – 10

10 – 15

15 - 25

>25

Recharge Minus Withdrawal 2005


Changes in irrigated acreage 1985-2005


Third National Climate Assessment

Predictions on future precipitation patterns in the U.S.

National Climate Assessment 2012 Report

Reduced precipitation over most of the agricultural areas of the U.S. during the crop season

National Climate Assessment 2012 Report

Percent Change Climate change will increase irrigation demand in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley by 180%

Methods for aquifer recharge

• Induced infiltration (Ohio and Nebraska)• Spreading (Arizona and California)• Recharge wells (California, Kansas)• Recharge pits (New York, New Jersey, Florida)• Recharge ditches• Water traps

Spreading basins in Arizona

Water spreading is accomplished by diverting water over permeable ground. Storing winter water on class I and II farmland is an example of how water spreading could be used in the MAV.

Recharge Wells

Water should be free of suspended sediment or bacteriaWater may be fed by gravity or by pumpsRecharge wells allow water to be injected into the aquifer where it is most needed

In Mississippi, tailwaterrecovery or on-farm storage basins could be used as sources of water for recharge during the non-crop seasons.

Concept of aquifer recharge wells

Aquifer storage and recovery system

Water traps

Multiple weirs in a channel to increase channel rechargeWeirs are 1-3 m highWeirs are positioned 70 to 100 m apartConstructed of local materials

Conclusion

The MAV is in a unique position. It receives adequate annual rainfall, but the timing is wrong

for maximum crop production. Producers will have to change the water management

practices, so that groundwater management becomes a priority throughout the year.

Groundwater recharge during the non-crop season can provide the means to sustain row

crop agriculture throughout this century.

Documents

The Mississippi Delta, the MAV and the World: A Groundwater Crisis— Is there any …wrri.msstate.edu/conference/pdf/johnson_david2015.pdf · 2015-05-06 · The Mississippi Delta,