Wells Dry, Fertile Plains Turn to Dust

[lsanderson]

HASKELL COUNTY, Kan. — Forty-nine years ago, Ashley Yost’s grandfather sank a well deep into a half-mile square of rich Kansas farmland. He struck an artery of water so prodigious that he could pump 1,600 gallons to the surface every minute.

Last year, Mr. Yost was coaxing just 300 gallons from the earth, and pumping up sand in order to do it. By harvest time, the grit had robbed him of $20,000 worth of pumps and any hope of returning to the bumper harvests of years past. Moar

Comments

It must be Manhattan!

[lsanderson.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know you are not supposed to ever read the comments, but in the Times somebody from Manhattan points out how efficient Israeli drip irrigation is. I just wonder if he's ever tried it on a quarter square mile of wheat or soybeans.

Re: It must be Manhattan!

[lsanderson.livejournal.com]

Probably bad of me to point it out?