Journal article

Publication year: 2016

Pages: 2419-2428

Journal: Regional Environmental Change

Volume number: 16

Issue number: 8

ISSN: 1436-3798

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-0968-5

Publisher: Springer

Abstract: 
Severe groundwater depletion of the High Plains aquifer (HPA) demands sustainable utilization of water resources to ensure continued freshwater supply in the region. Considering the period 1990-2012, the region's average water footprint (WFarea) of the major irrigated crops alfalfa, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybean and wheat has been determined as 45.72 km(3) year(-1) (54 % blue, 46 % green). Clustering the HPA by groundwater decline, blue WFarea and green WFarea allowed for spatial differentiation of hotspots. We show that two clusters, classified as "significant" and "severe," cover 20 % of the irrigated land, yet consume 32 % (7.94 km(3) year(-1)) of the total blue WFarea. WFcrop (blue and green water consumption per unit yield) is highest in the cluster "severe," paired with the largest fraction of blue water consumption (66 %). In contrast, green water satisfies crop water demands in the northern subregion, where the lowest WFcrop and the largest fraction of green water consumption occur (67 %).

Harvard Citation style: Multsch, S., Pahlow, M., Ellensohn, J., Michalik, T., Frede, H. and Breuer, L. (2016) A hotspot analysis of water footprints and groundwater decline in the High Plains aquifer region, USA, Regional Environmental Change, 16(8), pp. 2419-2428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-0968-5

APA Citation style: Multsch, S., Pahlow, M., Ellensohn, J., Michalik, T., Frede, H., & Breuer, L. (2016). A hotspot analysis of water footprints and groundwater decline in the High Plains aquifer region, USA. Regional Environmental Change. 16(8), 2419-2428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-0968-5