Ogallala: Water for a Dry Land (Our Sustainable Future Series)

Rating:
Summary: A very good introduction to this topic
Review: A few years ago I came across a magazine article that discussed the importance of the Ogallala Aquifer to American agriculture, geography, and society. Realizing that I knew absolutely nothing about this topic I picked up John Opie's book. It's safe to say that I now know more about the Ogallala Aquifer than I could ever have imagined possible.

The book begins with a discussion of the geology of the aquifer, and then moves into the history of irrigation efforts on the Plains since the 19th century, and finally to a discussion of the various irrigation technologies currently used to exploit the aquifer. There is ample discussion along the way about how these technologies have changed over the years as environmental consciousness and the problems of declining aquifer levels have become more prevalent.

This book is not only a very informative look at the Ogallala Aquifer but is pleasantly readable as well. And now that it is (finally) available in a more affordable paperback edition, I'm going to go buy a copy for myself.