Indiana’s landscape ◦ Geology & climate that affects farming

Soil monoliths Changes in the late 1800’s affecting Indiana

agriculture The 2 things that catapulted the U.S. past

Europe in agriculture Anything else?

Review: Jim Beaty’s lecture

◦ Hybrid corn ◦ What do you think?

◦ This summer’s drought footprint◦ What do you think?

What did Mr. Beaty say/infer:

Water

One of Our Basic Needs

1. What are the concerns about water quantity?

2. What are the concerns about water quality?

Water

How much fresh water is available? Understand the water cycle (components

and flow) Understand where we get our water from.

Major Points

Discuss the topic that your table was given and come to a consensus (5 minutes)◦ Amount of water◦ Water cycle◦ Watersheds and water use◦ Wells

Report back

Student Discussion & Reports

What percent of the Earth’s water is fresh water?

Water – Salt or Fresh?

Fresh Water – 2.4%

Salt water – 97.6%

Fresh Water

ocean

fresh

What percent of fresh water is:

◦Groundwater?

◦Surface water?

◦Ice & snow?

Fresh Water

Fresh, surface water – 0.8%

Groundwater – 12%

Ice and snow – 87.2%

Fresh Water

ice & snowgroundwaterfresh, surface water

1. Liquid fresh (surface) water is found in: Atmosphere Ground water (soil moisture) Lakes & reservoirs Moisture in plants and animals Rivers and streams Wetlands

3. Rank these from the one that has the most fresh water to the one that has the least (1 …..6).

Liquid Fresh Surface Water

Lakes & reservoirs - 45.7% Ground water - 23.8% How is this different that the previous GW (12% of all fresh water)?

Moisture in plants and animals - 23.8%

Atmosphere - 4.8% Rivers and streams - 1.6 % Wetlands - 1.3%

Liquid Fresh Surface Water(where & how much?)

What are the major components of the water cycle?

The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle

What is a watershed? Why do we discuss/study/use the term

watershed?

Watershed

Watershed - an area or region of land that drains into a lake, stream or river. ◦ Ridges of higher land on the ground separate

watersheds from each other. The quantity and quality of water in

streams, rivers, or lakes are dependent on what happens in it’s watershed.

Watershed

Indiana Watersheds

*

* Kankakee watershed, draining to IL River (straightened to drain wetlands for crops)

Where the water goes.

What percent of Indiana’s drinking water comes from surface water?

Indiana Water Use

What percent of Indiana’s drinking water comes from surface water?

40% of Indiana households drink surface water.

60% of Indiana households use ground water, including everyone who uses a well.

Public water systems use both ground and surface water, depending on where they are located and what is available.

Indiana Water Use

Where do wells pull water from?

What type of geologic formations are used (2 most prominent)?

21

Wells pull water from aquifers

Wells draw water from aquifers that hold water

The two prominent types of geologic formations used:

◦ Sand or sand & gravel formation that stores water in the spaces between particles

◦ Rock formation that stores water in fissures or cracks and joints

22

Wells pull water from aquifers

Aquifers can be unconfined or

confined

23

How can wells become contaminated? What can you do to protect your well?

Wells

Major Points from the last lecture:◦ Amount of fresh water available◦ Understand the water cycle (components and

flow).◦ Watersheds ◦ Wells

Today:◦ Protecting your well◦ 2012 Drought◦ Water consumers◦ Indiana’s water shortage plan◦ Pollution examples – maybe….

Wed, 8/29/12

Potential Sources of Well Contamination

27

Protecting Your Well

Well

Zone of Exclusion

Zone of Management

Well

Source Typical required

separation distances

Septic tank and absorption field 50 - 100 ftAbove-ground storage tanks with secondary containment (increase separation distance for tanks without secondary containment)

10 ft

Manure storage or application area 200 ftPesticide mixing or loading area 100 ft

Landfill, garbage dump 200 ftExisting properly constructed well or properly sealed abandoned well 10 ft

Surface water (streams, lakes, ponds) 25 ft

Any structure 10 ft

Outer boundary of any road 20 ft

Property boundary 15 ft28

Potential Sources of Well Contamination

Protect the well casing Inspect the casing and cap regularlyKeep well records and know where they areProtect the well from contaminantsLandscape around the well to protect it from

lawn mowers and other equipmentFollow all maintenance recommendationsWell life span is usually 20 to 30 years

29

Well Maintenance & Life Span

How did the summer’s drought affect you/your family/friends water supply?

Drought

The January-July period was the warmest first seven months of any year on record for the contiguous United States. The national temperature of 56.4°F was 4.3°F above the long-term average.

More than 40,000 daily heat records were broken during the six months.

The first seven months of 2012 were drier than average, ranking as 15th driest January-July on record.

Across the U.S.

The hot, dry summer followed a warm winter. In many Western river basins, snowpack — the lifeblood of rivers and essential for irrigation — was a fraction of the historical average.

Not even the stereotypically wet Southeast was spared. Central Georgia is mired in its second historic drought in the last five years, and the Flint River, vital for the state’s agricultural corridor, is seeing its lowest July flows ever.

Across the U.S.

Instruments on NASA’s Terra satellite compare plant growth in the first part of July to average conditions over the last decade. Green areas show vigorous growth, whereas brown areas indicate stunted crops.

(Image courtesy NASA)

Hydrologic Demands When the demands on a hydrologic system increase

— when cities grow, when farming becomes more intensive and when water withdrawals increase— the consequences of heat and cloudless summer months are magnified.

In other words, a moderate dry period may now produce more serious effects than it would have in the past. A city of 100,000, for instance, is much more vulnerable than a city of 40,000, if water-use behaviors remain the same.

It is an unsettling conclusion, especially as scientists discover historical droughts more pernicious than the present-day and as climate change threatens part of the U.S. with an even warmer, drier future.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared all of Missouri’s 114 counties primary disaster areas.

Roughly one-third of all U.S. counties now have a federal disaster declaration because of drought.

In Nebraska, state officials are telling certain farmers to stop irrigating so that the state can meet water-delivery obligations to Kansas, where some rivers are flowing at less than 1 percent of normal.

In Colorado, farmers have asked the governor to allow emergency pumping from restricted aquifers.

Across the U.S. (July 20, 2012)

Dr. Jane Frankenberger YouTube video

What can this drought teach us?

Drought and the Water Supply

Water Consumers Worldwide

◦ There are three water users: agricultural, domestic, and industrial.

◦ What percent % does agriculture use? ◦ What agricultural practice uses the most water?

Agriculture uses: ◦ 67% of water withdrawn (total amount removed

for any purpose) ◦ 85% of consumption (water withdrawn for human

use)

Water Consumers The agricultural practice that uses the most water

is irrigation (particularly inefficient methods)

History: 1988: Drought focused attention on need

for statewide plan to minimize impacts of a water shortage

1991: Indiana General Assembly enacted HB 1260 which required DNR to develop Water Shortage Plan

1994: Water Shortage Plan completed with input from Industry, Agriculture, Public Water Supplies, Municipalities, Environmental Groups, Government Agencies, etc.

Indiana’s Water Shortage Plan

July 10, 2012

Developed by a Task Force (as required by the state Senate Enrolled Act No. 369)

Suggested Model Ordinance◦ Development of a “Water Management

Strategy” by Local Unit of Government ◦ Adoption and Implementation of Ordinance for

Effective Management of Water during Temporary Water Shortage

Development of Water Shortage Plan Web Page, www.in.gov/2423.htm

Indiana’s Water Shortage Plan

Increase public awareness of value of water Increase public knowledge of wise water

use Provide economic incentives for desirable

water management practices Enhance sum of net benefits from water

resources Reduce frequency, duration, and severity of Water shortages Provide economic development consistent

with water supply outlook

Water Management Strategies

Ecological protection is understood to be one of the recognized “beneficial uses” of water in the State.

Therefore, the Water Shortage Task Force recommends that the 80-Percent Flow Duration (Q80) stream discharge for the months of May through October be used as a trigger to initiate a local action process to protect aquatic and riparian habitat by monitoring minimum streamflow in surface waters during a shortage.

Baseline Steamflow Policy

First Priority is for domestic purposes described in IC 14-25-1-3.

Second Priority is for the use of health and safety Third Priority is for power production with contingency

planning provisions. Fourth Priority is for industry and agriculture with

contingency planning provisions. Fifth Priority is for power production, industry and

agriculture without contingency planning provisions. Sixth Priority is for any other purpose.

Water Use Priorities

Encourage the Legislature to establish a sustainable Water Planning Task Force to coordinate regional water supply and demand planning, and data collection efforts.

Improve regional water conservation, allocation and management throughout Indiana.

Protect public health and safety during water shortages.

Task Force Recommendations

Implement policies and programs that encourage efficient use, including conservation of water in wet, normal, and dry years, and allocation during water shortage.

Study the supply and demand by establishing water use databanks that are standardized and shared through metering and reporting requirements.

Promote installation of accurate water metering devices at all withdrawal and/or end use points.

Task Force Recommendations

Water Shortage Warning

July 17, 2012 To: Owners/Operators of Significant Water

Withdrawal Facilities Applicable to all counties in Indiana Issued by the Indiana Department of

Natural Resources and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security

Requested a voluntary reduction of current water use of 10-15%

Center-pivot sprinklers are commonly used in the High Plains.

Large quantities of groundwater pumped from the Ogallala Aquifer allows these semiarid western lands to yield abundant harvests.

Example: The Ogallala Aquifer

The Ogallala Aquifer Water is being extracted 100 times the natural

replacement rate (recharge). Water level in the aquifer dropping at the rate of five

feet per year.

Eight states draw water from the aquifer: Texas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas.

A report released by the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District indicates area agriculture producers are drawing water from the Ogallala Aquifer at unsustainable rates.

The report also predicts that it will dry up within the next 30 years.

Ag producers have a different view and said the report has been manipulated to take control of the resource, not to conserve it.

Cotton producers said they feel like the Conservation District is using its current report to justify regulations to restrict groundwater and aquifer usage.

Report, 2012

What Can We Learn from the 2012 Drought?