In the news - David Borrok KPLC-TV interview about sustainability of the Chicot Aquifer
Sat, 09/03/2016 - 8:30pm
Top Stories
Biology Student Presentations at Ocean Sciences Meeting
Kelly Robinson of our Biology Department and a group of undergraduate and graduate biology students participated in
Surface water use is key to Chicot's sustainability
By Frank DiCesare (Friday, September 2nd 2016)
LAFAYETTE, LA -
The Chicot Aquifer. It's Louisiana's largest drinking water supply and the primary source of irrigation for Acadiana's rice farmers. Even Southwest Louisiana's plants draw its waters for coolant. But scientists at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette say farmers and industry have been drafting the Chicot at a rate far greater than what nature replenishes - a trend that has grim repercussions for future generations. "Wells will start to go dry; we'll have to dig deeper wells to get to that water," said David Borrok, ULL's director of geosciences. "And then ultimately you're going to be sucking in saline water, especially near the coast." Borrok said overdrafting has caused the Chicot's groundwater to drop a foot per year over the past century. "It's lowered the ability for the water to rise to the level it used to be able to rise to when you put in a well," he added.
To reverse this trend, Borrok has led a three-year study - funded by the National Science Foundation - to find ways to repurpose the region's groundwater for farming and industrial use. "So we can make it sustainable for, you know, the next thousand years, basically," he said. Borrok and his team recommend ponding - the collecting and storing of the Chicot's surface water in areas without crop. "Canals and diversions that are put in the exact right positions to provide the greatest opportunity for the greatest number of farmers to use that water," he said, offering another solution. Borrok also recommends weir systems in existing bayous and other waterways. "So you raise the level of water when necessary - a foot or two - so it floods the area just a bit in some seasons," he said. Borrok hopes his study will lead to policy that incentives surface water preservation. He said state officials are looking into policies for the future management of Louisiana's water system. "It's simply to figure out the best way to manage the surface water where more people can use it," he said.
Story Copyright 2016 KPLC. All rights reserved.