the sunshine state’s underground freshwater reserves are being drained at an alarming rate, threatening the drinking water of millions, and severely damaging the complex ecosystem of the water cycle.

state and local governments already are working on solutions, but experts are calling for firmer action.

“if we just keep going the way we are going now, we are likely to be in trouble in the not too distant future,” said todd crowl, a professor at florida international university in the department of biology and director of the southeast environmental research center.

“the supply is finite, but the access to it is not finite. it’s limitless,” said robert glennon, regents’ professor and professor of law and public policy at the university of arizona. glennon studies water policy around the world and believes that florida is part of a greater water crisis in the u.s.  

“we americans are spoiled. we wake up in the morning, and we turn on the faucet and out comes as much as we want, for less than we pay for cell phone service or cable television,” glennon said. “most of our fellow citizens, when they think of water, if they think of it at all, they think of it as the air, infinite and inexhaustible, when for all practical purposes it is quite exhaustible, so we take it for granted.”

the associate director of the florida springs institute, heather obara, said, “we have a lot of overpumping of our aquifer, meaning that the demand for water in florida is really high, and we are using more water faster than our aquifer can replenish itself.

“we have a lot of water usage here in florida, such as large scale agricultural usage, as well as urban residential usages that are depleting the aquifer at a rapid rate,” she said.

this depletion of groundwater is a problem throughout the state, with both southern and northern florida experiencing shortages and environmental effects, according to the florida department of environmental protection. many of florida’s biodiverse ecosystems are dependent on freshwater to be clean of pollutants and at a certain water level to function.

the florida dep’s most recent water management assessment states that without new planning efforts, “existing sources of water will not adequately meet the reasonable-beneficial needs for the next 20 years.”

springs are a visible health indicator

in north florida, the natural springs are one of the best indicators of the health of the aquifers, obara said. the freshwater flows up from the underground aquifers into these springs through cracks in the limestone.

the florida springs institute, which studies north florida’s aquifers, has documented a significant drop of freshwater flowing into springs. according to a study they conducted in 2018, average spring flows in florida have declined by an estimated 32% from 1950 to 2010.

another consequence of low flow in springs is that nitrogen is polluting the ecosystem. according to obara, runoff inundated with nitrogen and phosphorus from agriculture and septic tanks is entering the water system, which shifts the balance of the whole ecosystem. nitrogen is fuel for plant growth, and when there is an overabundance of nitrogen in the springs, there are massive algae blooms. obara explains that without a strong flow, the springs cannot flush the algae out of the system, which ends up killing food sources for animals and disrupting the food chain.

“we thought we could just use and use that water, and now we’re dealing with the reality,” obara said.

the everglades is just as vital to the water cycle

unfortunately, the water crisis is not limited to north florida. statewide population growth has caused more and more land to be claimed for residential use. and local governments continue to authorize the drilling of new wells — and to expand development into swamps, despite the wetlands acting as a filter for water entering the aquifer.

like the springs in north florida, the everglades — a unesco world heritage site and a designated international biosphere reserve — is an integral part of south florida’s water cycle. the everglades plays a vital role in the delicate equilibrium required to maintain the aquifers by keeping a pressure counterbalance against saltwater pushing its way into the aquifer, said crowl, the florida international university professor. as the water drains out of the aquifer and the everglades, saltwater begins to intrude into freshwater reserves.

“it’s just a simple pressure problem,” crowl said. but the problem is only worsened by rising sea levels, which are increasing the pressure, he said. crowl studies the salinity of underground well water, sampling more than 100 wells throughout south florida.

crowl was not ready to make any predictions without continued monitoring in the future, but he did say “we are getting higher and higher concentrations in more and more of our wells where we measure saltwater intrusion. watching the rate that’s happening is a little bit scary.”

the government has a plan, but…

the florida department of environmental protection is one of the multiple statewide government agencies that are studying the problem and collaborating with local governments to address the crisis.

in a report published in 2017, the dep projected that between 2015 and 2035, the population in florida will grow by 27%, to 25.2 million, and that public demand for water will increase by 23%.

the dep has formulated a plan to address the increasing dependence on the aquifer. in the same 2017 study, they proposed 747 projects around the state to conserve water, costing $3.7 billion. the majority of the projects either use water reclamation or call for treatment of brackish groundwater.

but these projects seem to only treat the crisis, rather than address the underlying problem. obara and crowl both believe the most crucial step to addressing the crisis and eventually reverse it, is to commit to conserving the natural aquifer.

with one hand, florida’s state and local governments seem committed to fixing the problem, but with the other hand, they continue to take actions that seemingly contradict that first commitment. the miami-dade county commission recently approved the construction of american dream miami, a massive megamall, larger than the mall of america in minnesota. american dream will have 2,000 hotel rooms, an indoor ski slope, an ice-climbing wall, and a water park with a “submarine lake.” the project is now working to secure environmental and water permits for the 174-acre site, which is a previously developed area adjacent to the everglades.

“there really hasn’t been a good emphasis on conservation in florida,” obara said. “we need a shift in the mentality here in florida that we haven’t had before. we have always looked at the environment as a resource rather than something that not only benefits our health for our environment to be healthy, but it also benefits our state’s economy.”

“the point is if we don’t get the everglades restored pretty quickly to have freshwater to push back saltwater, we are going to be in a world of hurt,” crowl said.

so what can be done?

glennon suggests using economics and policy as a possible solution. he believes if the government increases the price of water, the natural economic response will be to conserve the resource. “it is a matter of supply and demand,” he said.

glennon still believes that access to water should be a human right, and suggests that 12-to-15 gallons per person, per day should be subsidized, avoiding penalizing those who cannot afford the price increase. glennon also calls for reform within agriculture, proposing that farms need to change their methods.

“i think the farmers developed their farms at a time when water was plentiful, and they’re doing what they’ve always done, using water the same way,” glennon said.

florida’s water problem is complicated and challenging to fix, but the outlook is still positive. according to crowl, it is possible to reverse saltwater intrusion, the health of the everglades can be restored, and the aquifer can be allowed to refill. for florida, there is still time to reverse the crisis.

“i am optimistic. is there a crisis? you bet there is. but can we do something about it? yes, and what we want to do is act before the crisis turns into a catastrophe,” glennon said. 

“profitability and economic sustainability is the biggest challenge we have,” said steve verett, the executive vice president for plains cotton growers, with strategic environmental action playing a key role in overcoming those economic challenges.

one area that needs further action? education on sustainable practices, as a lack of it in the past has taken an environmental toll with an aquifer quickly drying up.

“there’s going to be a lot of things we need to be looking at, but the fact of the matter is we are transitioning into dryland agriculture,” verett said.

however, verett and other farmers are hopeful that new developments in seed production can allow them to continue with their levels of production.

janice person, the online engagement director for bayer, the multinational pharmaceutical company that just acquired monsanto last year, says less water-dependent cotton is something her company has been focusing heavily on. “our breeders have been working on that stuff for 20 years.”

past the issue of water scarcity, farmers are also facing the rise of weeds resistant to roundup—a popular herbicide produced by bayer, according to a report in the new york times in 2010.

herbicide-resistant weeds are a factor that have led to a reduction in more environmentally friendly practices like no-till farming. once resistant weeds move into a field, farmers often have to resort to more toxic chemicals or tilling, which leads to increased run off and erosion.

farmers “want to be economically viable, but leave what they have in as good or better shape than how they found it,” verett said.

water flowing from his tube well had already started decreasing in late february, a month and a half before the summer’s arrival. but in the previous few days, as the sun generates more scorching heat, the drought becomes more and more severe.

the mercury rises to 115° fahrenheit, but this is no time for fear. sazzad decides it is the ideal time to equip himself and take necessary measures.

this sexagenarian farmer from barind area of rajshahi district in bangladesh, a south asian country, has been facing the water crisis during summers for over a decade. heavy use of groundwater, decreasing rainfalls, and inadequate surface water sources plunge thousands of farmers into crisis every year.

the barind tract, spanning around 3,500 square miles in the northwestern part of bangladesh, is comparatively at a higher elevation than the adjoining floodplains. even when the floodplains are submerged during monsoons, the land in the tract remains dry. its adjoining rivers do not recharge the groundwater layer because of its lower elevation.

as the population increases, many of the surface water sources are filled with soil to build houses. meanwhile, the farmers need to pump groundwater for irrigation, putting tremendous pressure on water layers. during the dry days, the majority of tube wells for drinking water become unusable.

“for the last five years, the tube well at my yard cannot pump water during summer days,” hossain said. summer is the major season for paddy cultivation, requiring around 2,000 liters of water for production of one kilogram of rice.

“people of our neighborhood have to walk miles to fetch drinking water. sometimes we drink less to save water for the next day,” he said.

according to statistics from the water development board, the government agency in bangladesh that monitors water resources, the top layer of groundwater in barind tract was found in as far as 10 meters deep in 2004, but by 2012 the layer depleted dramatically to 29 meters.

“the situation is deteriorating with every passing year,” said chowdhury sarwar jahan, professor at geology and mining department of the university of rajshahi in bangladesh.

naren hasda, a farmer in the barind area, said, “now people need to dig even 60 meters to reach drinking water layer.”

water scarcity not only affects the harvest of seasonal crops, it also contributes to diseases and ecological destruction. “many animals have already become extinct,” hasda added.

to cope with the water crisis, farmers in the barind tract are opting for alternative water sources, rather than relying on groundwater. community people, with the help of local government institutions, are digging ponds and canals to store rainwater. they also clean existing surface water sources to reduce their dependence on groundwater.

since 2015, the development association for self-reliance, communication and health (dascoh), an ngo in bangladesh, has been implementing an integrated water resource management program involving community people, civil society members and local government institutions,.

the program applies the 4r approach: reduce, reuse, recycle, and recharge. it helps communities reduce the use of groundwater and clean water in the existing ponds, so people can use surface water.

hossain hopes to inspire communities to reuse more water.

“people in my neighborhood are digging new ponds, canals and setting up large jars on rooftops to store rainwater,” he said. places for new ponds and canals are chosen adjacent to households and agricultural land to help people use reserved water both for irrigation and domestic use during crisis hours.

hasda said, “we are also cultivating fish in the ponds and growing vegetables on the bank of ponds, which makes us economically solvent.” they also recycle the water used for household work to cultivate vegetables.

community people, with the help of local government institutions, have set up pipes on the rooftops to drain rainwater to recharge groundwater layers. the geology and mining department of the university of rajshahi also set up groundwater quality testing machines in 35 locations in the barind area. researchers from the department regularly examine groundwater quality and layers.

the program encourages farmers to cultivate alternative crops like lentils, vegetables and fruits, which consume less water and help farmers make more money.

“in this way, production cost decreases and farmers enjoy more benefit without causing pressure on water source,” hossain said.        

hasda said that people from the community, in cooperation with local government institutions, have formed committees to take care of the initiatives and opened a bank account to save money, 20 percent income from selling agricultural produce, to take care of surface water sources.

“it requires cleaning and dredging every year; we use the money to take care of the process,” hasda said.

akramul haque, chief executive officer of dascoh, said this environmentally friendly approach is helping people cope with the water crisis.

tareq mahamud, a water and sanitation expert in bangladesh, said this sustainable approach will help protect the next generation from another water crisis. “we now need an integrated policy from the government to engage more people in the process.”

at its core, producing row crops will always be the same process: plant it, grow it, harvest it.

water impacts every stage of this cycle.

if there’s too much water when the seeds are planted, the young plant’s roots can’t get oxygen and die. if there’s not enough, they won’t germinate. a heavy storm after applying nitrogen fertilizer can wash the nutrients into the watershed, making it unavailable to the plant and polluting the water supply. too little rain and the plants can’t take up the nutrients that keep photosynthesis going. another big rain at harvest can make a field too wet for a producer to get equipment in and crops out of a field.

for decades, producers have used technology to control the risk of water.

in wet states like ohio, iowa, and illinois, they use drainage ditches and systems of underground pipes to channel water out of fields and prevent damage from standing water.

in the plains states, producers depend on irrigation, pulling water from below the ground to compensate for the lack of rainfall. the most popular irrigation system, rotating center-pivots, create the circles of green that dot the landscape in flyover country every summertime.

western nebraska sits on the heart of the ogallala aquifer, a vast stretch of water beneath the surface. when rain falls, it recharges the aquifer, but in the last 60 years, producers have been pulling water faster than the aquifer can replace it. according to a recent report from the denver post, the aquifer shrank twice as fast over the past six years compared with the previous 60. (watch this video about the ogallala aquifer to learn more.)

so far, 358 miles of surface rivers and streams in the high plains of colorado, kansas, and nebraska have dried up as a result, according to a study published last year in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences. researchers estimate another 177 miles will be gone by 2060 if water is withdrawn at the current rate.

what’s more, scientists have found impacts of a changing climate will reduce the availability of water in nebraska. a university of nebraska-lincoln report projected the state will have more frequent and severe drought and more days topping 100 degrees. they expect soil moisture to decline by 5 to 10 percent. and less snowpack in the rocky mountains means less water will flow downstream into nebraska.

less water overall makes each step of the “plant it, grow it, and harvest it” cycle more difficult. producing row crops on the plains requires individual farms to do more with a smaller amount.

like most nebraska farmers, roric paulman irrigates with water pulled from the ogallala.

he is among the producers taking action. paulman farms 8,500 acres with his son near sutherland, nebraska. their land sits between the republican and platte river, in the basin of both.

he’s making decisions on his farm with water and climate in mind.

“at my level i could brush that off and continue to do what i do, but collectively, if there’s a million of us that do that, that’s a pretty big detriment to climate change.”

in many ways, paulman works with the land to manage water.

after the growing season, he plants cover crops, like rye and oats, which hold in soil moisture and improve how well rainwater can soak into the soil. the roots of these plants hold soil in place in the off season, preventing it from eroding away when the land isn’t producing cash crops.

he also uses soil probes and weather stations in each field to understand how much moisture each part of a field has access to, so he can irrigate at a variable rate and give the plant only the amount it needs to be successful.

when paulman does irrigate, it is later in the growing season. where he once started irrigating in may, he now waits until july.

much of his land is also “ecofallow.” this system uses minimal tillage and improves how the soil holds moisture by planting the land in a rotation.

paulman also co-founded the nebraska water balance alliance, an organization advocating for better water management in the state. he even retired 400 acres of his farm and converted it to wildlife habitat.

but paulman serves as the exception, not the norm. implementing all these practices takes money and time that some farmers aren’t willing to spend.

cover cropping, for example, has been proven to reduce pollution from nutrient runoff and to improve soil health in a number of measures. cover crops can often reduce erosion and suppress weeds.

still, for most farmers the cost and time it takes to implement cover crops outweigh the benefits. in a 2015 unl survey of 258 nebraska farmers, 34% used cover crops in the 2014 growing season. cover crops are even less common in the eastern part of the corn belt. a study released in 2017 found that in the corn and soy fields of the heartland, only 7.1% of farmers used cover crops in indiana, 2.6% used them in iowa, and 2.3% used them in illinois.

cover crops are planted after the cash crop in the off-season. shortly before the growing season arrives, they are mowed or killed with chemicals. all of this costs money, and for some farmers the extra work and extra seed cost is not worth the benefit.

but for paulman, who farms with his son, sees it as an investment worth making for the future.

1. community-funded journalism could be a boon for sustainability reporting through report for america

(image: roger h. goun)

a proposal, funded by the ford foundation, introduced the concept of “report for america,” a new model for local journalism that would borrow from the tradition of national and community service programs like teach for america and peace corps. this is important because the current ad-based business model supports content generation in a way that fails to encourage reporting that has limited appeal to advertisers and readers — for example, a series of articles about brownfield redevelopment may have high civic value even if it generates few page views. if funded, a program like this would support community-based coverage and fill gaps in media in an efficient manner that benefits everybody.

2. more than half the world’s biggest aquifers are disappearing

ground-water flow paths vary greatly in length, depth and travel time from points of recharge to points of discharge in the groundwater system. (image: t.c. winter, j.w. harvey, o.l. franke and w.m. alley, courtesy of wikimedia commons)