The Disappearing Aquifer

National Geographic:

Well, the beef triangle sure stands out on the map.  And even though it isn't labeled on the map, Plainview is right in the middle of the giant red spot at the bottom.  That is the town that had a Cargill packing plant close down because there weren't enough cattle in the region to justify it in the heart of the 2013 drought.  In the end, there just wasn't enough water available to raise those cattle.  The article is depressing, in that the farmers in the region know they will pump the aquifer dry if they keep irrigating like they have been, but they just can't bring themselves to cut back.  It is a slowly-unfolding disaster.  Reminds me of climate change.