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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
Recent Examples on the Web
Last year, Rolling Stone reported on Amazon data centers in Eastern Oregon that siphoned tens of millions of gallons of water from state aquifers, worsening a water pollution problem linked to cancer and miscarriages.
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Mary Jane Gibson, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2026
This is a Federal Issue due to the amount of resources being utilized, including rivers and aquifers that span multiple states.
—Rachel Royster
may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The findings say the study is the first to demonstrate that a year's worth of rainfall packed into bigger and wetter storms means less water for aquifers and ecosystems, even if total precipitation increases.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 13 May 2026
And thanks to the aquifer that remains underground today, onions as well as olives, and blueberries a little further south, have plenty of water.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for aquifer
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Mary Jane Gibson, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2026
This is a Federal Issue due to the amount of resources being utilized, including rivers and aquifers that span multiple states.
—Rachel Royster
may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The findings say the study is the first to demonstrate that a year's worth of rainfall packed into bigger and wetter storms means less water for aquifers and ecosystems, even if total precipitation increases.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 13 May 2026
And thanks to the aquifer that remains underground today, onions as well as olives, and blueberries a little further south, have plenty of water.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for aquifer
Cite this Entry
“Aquifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aquifer. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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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