A team of MSU researchers, led by Geology Professor David Hyndman, have received a $1.2M grant from the National Science Foundation to predict sustainable solutions for communities across the High Plains that rely upon a diminishing water supply.
The High Plains Aquifer spans much of the central U.S. and is the focus of a recent NSF grant. In this image by Anthony Kendall, areas with irrigated agriculture as of 2000 are shown in dark green, while light green areas have only dryland agriculture.
A team of researchers across disciplines at MSU are predicting sustainable solutions for communities across the High Plains that rely upon a diminishing water supply. The four-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation is led by Professor David Hyndman and connects with faculty in economics, sociology and geography to develop sustainable land management strategies.
The High Plains region has some of the most productive irrigated agricultural land in the U.S. the region, which extends from Kansas to South Dakota, relies on water from the Ogallala-High Plains aquifer. A patchwork of state laws, regulations and economics means any change requires complex solutions.
With this grant, researchers are connecting decades worth of scientific data with a suite of computer models to best predict solutions. The research will provide predictions and impact assessments for a range of potential solutions. Communities and governments will be able to use these predictions to adjust land management policies allowing the region to transition towards a sustainable practice of water use.
Seven faculty and staff from MSU are involved in the project, including Anthony Kendall, research associate of Geological Sciences; Jinhua Zhao, associate professor of agricultural economics; Stephen Gasteyer, assistant professor of sociology; Nathan Moore, assistant professor of geography; Shiyuan Zhong, associate professor of geography; and Warren Wood, visiting professor of geology. Three faculty from the Kansas Geological Survey are also part of the research team.
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