In Southwest Kansas, declining groundwater supplies are already shaping how farmers operate. Wells are producing less water, irrigation decisions are becoming more consequential, and producers are working to maintain profitable operations with a resource they know is limited.
The implications extend far beyond Kansas. The Ogallala Aquifer, spans eight states and underlies approximately 20% of the nation’s irrigated agricultural land, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
As groundwater levels continue to decline in parts of the region, much of the discussion about conservation has focused on what individual farmers can do to reduce water use. But many producers are already making changes. The question is what it will take for the rest of the agricultural industry to support those efforts.
That was the idea behind a June 10 bus tour through Southwest Kansas, organized in part by farmer Dwane Roth of Front Porch Farms and co-organized by Farm Journal’s Trust In Food™ initiative. The tour brought together farmers, agribusiness leaders, researchers and government agency representatives to see firsthand how the region’s producers are responding to groundwater challenges.
“We brought in all these folks having separate conversations into one conversation,” Roth said.
Roth emphasized that the region’s agricultural economy depends on a network of crop and livestock producers, beef and dairy processors, and food companies, all of which have a stake in the region’s long-term agricultural viability.
“How can we keep this region, this semi-arid region, viable for the next generation?” Roth asked.
Farmers Are Already Making Changes
Steve Compton knows firsthand what it takes to adapt. At Circle C Farms near Scott City, Kansas, Compton and his family grow corn, soybeans, wheat and grain sorghum across a large stretch of western Kansas.
Although only about 20% of the operation’s acreage is irrigated, Compton says those acres generate a substantial portion of the farm’s revenue.
As groundwater availability has declined, the operation has invested in technologies and management changes to make better use of the water available.
Soil moisture probes help Compton monitor conditions at different depths and determine when irrigation is necessary. Remote monitoring systems allow him to adjust center pivots, vary water application based on what is growing and respond quickly when equipment malfunctions.
The farm has also experimented with different irrigation technologies, cover crops and other approaches through partnerships with the Kansas Water Office and its local groundwater management district.
But adopting new practices comes with financial risks.
“Every time that we try something new or a different technology, it costs money,” Compton said.
A failed experiment can mean more than losing the cost of a new piece of equipment. It can jeopardize a crop, with significant consequences for the farm’s bottom line.
Cost-share assistance from the groundwater district has helped Circle C Farms test technologies and evaluate new management approaches without bearing the full financial risk.
Compton also emphasized the importance of coordinated water management among neighboring farms. Through a Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA), producers can operate under shared water-use limits rather than worrying that individual conservation efforts will be offset by continued pumping elsewhere.
Bringing More Partners to the Table
For Compton, expanding the adoption of water-conserving practices will require more opportunities for farmers to test new technologies and management approaches under their own growing conditions.
“Everybody wants to conserve,” Compton said. “It’s overwhelming to figure out how do I do all this?”
He believes more locally relevant research, supported by universities and agricultural companies, could help producers make informed decisions about which practices are worth their investment.
“Research, education, and implementation,” Compton said. “That’s the three main steps that need to be done.”
The work sparked by the June tour has continued. Participants reconvened in August to discuss pooling resources to help more producers adopt water-conserving practices. Roth is also working with state and national representatives from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to explore potential conservation projects tailored to Kansas’ groundwater management districts, with hopes of launching efforts in 2027.
“We’re not waiting on anything or anyone, we’re working together,” Roth said.
For Compton, that kind of collaboration is essential to helping farmers put new research, technologies and management practices to work.
“The farmer can’t do it on his own anymore,” Compton said. “It just requires so much more.”
