Ogallala Aquifer

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ogallala-aquifer

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Ogallala Aquifer?Approximately 174,000 square miles (450,000 km2)
2. What is the scientific name?Ogallala Aquifer (part of the High Plains Aquifer System)
3. What is the geological unit?Ogallala Formation
4. Where can you find the Ogallala Aquifer?It stretches across eight U.S. states: South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.
5. Why do farmers use water from the Ogallala Aquifer?The aquifer supplies water for irrigation, helping grow crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat, and supports livestock.

Unconfined Aquifer: An aquifer where the upper surface is exposed to the atmosphere through permeable material.
Groundwater Depletion: The removal of groundwater at a rate faster than it can be naturally replenished.
Water Management Strategies: Plans and actions taken to conserve, protect, and use water resources sustainably.