Dunn’s right, Ogallala Aquifer is worth protecting

State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn’s decision to require that oil industry applications for water easements on state trust lands be accompanied by hydrological reviews appears a sensible step toward slowing the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer, the vast underground reservoir that provides drinking water for more than 2 million people and irrigates millions of acres of farmland.

The Ogallala, which lies beneath parts of eight states from South Dakota to West Texas, includes the eastern plains of New Mexico. By requiring hydrological reviews, Dunn, a Republican, would be sending a message to oil drillers and producers that the days of using fresh water for drilling and hydraulic fracking — when nonpotable brackish water is readily available — are numbered.

Dunn says that instead of drilling into the aquifer for fresh water, he wants oil and gas companies to drill deeper and use nonpotable brackish water for drilling and other oil-related purposes.

According to the State Land Office, there are more than 100 easements on state trust land that authorize the drilling of water wells into the Ogallala Aquifer — parts of which are being depleted faster than the aquifer can be recharged. The office does not have jurisdiction over wells on private land.

Predictably, Dunn’s new policy has the oil industry up in arms, pointing out that it uses only a fraction of the water pumped from the Ogallala and that farmland irrigation uses far more.

That’s true, Dunn says, but points out agriculture does not have the potential for lasting impact on underground water sources that hydraulic fracking does.

Dunn readily admits that drilling deeper to tap the salty Capitan Reef water can cost more. But what industry is more adept at deep drilling than oil and gas companies?

Still, at the oil industry’s behest, Dunn has prudently agreed to delay implementation of the new rule beyond its original July 1 deadline to allow more input from industry officials. That will give them a chance to make a case based on the impact — or lack of — that drilling has on the aquifer, as well as the impact the rules would have on the state’s valuable oil and gas industry.

Dunn should also listen to farmers, environmentalists and cities that depend on the Ogallala for drinking water and others with a stake in the outcome.

After collecting that input, he should move quickly to announce his decision. And barring some startling revelations during the hearings, that decision should be to protect the state’s limited resource.