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Aquifer and Agriculture
The vast but relatively shallow Ogallala Aquifer lies beneath the Great Plains, under portions of eight states. Its thickness ranges from a few feet to more than a thousand feet. The Ogallala yields about 30 percent of the nation's groundwater used for irrigation in agriculture, and provides drinking water for most of the people within the area. But for many years more water has been extracted from the Ogallala than has been returned, and the situation today is of great concern.
Examples of aquifer in a Sentence
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The overuse of groundwater leads to the depletion of aquifers, the emptied earth leading to compaction.
—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Researchers found that most of the depletion of groundwater is occurring in the river’s lower basin, largely in Arizona, where the bulk of the water is pumped from desert aquifers to irrigate farms.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
As demand for water grows in expanding cities, pulling too much from underground aquifers causes the soil to compact, leading the land above to sink.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Overall drier conditions may decrease recharge of the aquifers.
—Bob Maliva, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
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Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Researchers found that most of the depletion of groundwater is occurring in the river’s lower basin, largely in Arizona, where the bulk of the water is pumped from desert aquifers to irrigate farms.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
As demand for water grows in expanding cities, pulling too much from underground aquifers causes the soil to compact, leading the land above to sink.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Overall drier conditions may decrease recharge of the aquifers.
—Bob Maliva, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for aquifer
Cite this Entry
“Aquifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aquifer. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aquifer
noun
aqui·fer
ˈak-wə-fər 
ˈäk-
: a water-bearing layer of rock, sand, or gravel capable of absorbing water
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