Spatial and temporal relationships between center pivot irrigation and groundwater resources on the Texas Southern High Plains

The purpose of this study is to investigate the geography of center pivot agriculture on the Texas Southern High Plains. The main goal is to better understand the spatial and temporal relationships between center pivot agriculture and groundwater resources in West Texas. Specifically this study addresses three research questions. 1) Has there been an increase in center pivot fields over time? 2) Is there a strong spatial relationship between center pivot fields and the saturated thickness of the aquifer? 3) Is there a strong spatial relationship between center pivot fields and the rates of aquifer depletion? Results from this research showed an increase in center pivot fields between 1995 and 2004, resulting in an increase in center pivot acreage in the region. The results from this study also support the idea that once the saturated thickness of the aquifer reaches 30 feet or less, it becomes difficult to support production level irrigated agriculture. The results from the aquifer depletion analysis showed a strong inverse relationship; as the center pivot acreage increased, the saturated thickness of the aquifer decreased in most cases.