Oglalla Sounds Like Water Down The Drain

In West Texas there is a resource you probably don't know about,it's a reservoir called Oglaglla. My son started speaking by making a swallowing sound,that meant he was thirsty, so I'm really fond of the Oglalla and it is very meaningfull since it refers to something very essential to our west.

The high plains of the Panhandle form a scenic tableau, one where you can go to confirm the rugged Hollywood image of Texas. But what you see is not the issue. It's what's under the surface that matters.

The farmers and ranchers who live on the vast expanse of our state from Amarillo north through towns like Dalhart have nothing but their future riding on the new farm bill up for debate in the Senate this week.

How that vote turns out, plus the one over the pending energy bill, will determine how much water the Panhandle will have for its people, farms and ranches. There's only so much that the Ogallala Aquifer can produce, and the Panhandle's primary water source could have seen its better days if the Senate continues giving farmers handsome incentives to grow a handful of crops like corn and wheat.
(snip)
The North Plains Groundwater Conservation District governs how much water many Panhandle farmers can draw from the Ogallala. Last month, the district changed several technical rules. The changes will make it easier for farmers to pump more water for their corn, as well as wheat and cotton.

"They cut everyone loose up there," is how C.E. Williams, the manager of a neighboring water district, put it.
(snip)
I hope the Senate goes with the competing farm bill that Republican Richard Lugar of Indiana and Democrat Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey are sponsoring. It would do away with subsidies for corn and other crops and put a greater emphasis on conserving natural resources.

We have a choice: More and more corn or preserve our water supplies. I'm not sure I understand how mortgaging our future is ever a good answer.

At one time, there was planning for the future even in our west. Now the developers have a hold on the resources we all need. Time to get them back in the control of the public interest.