Since the 1940 s, the Ogallala Aquifer has dropped by more than 10 feet, with some areas of Texas losing nearly 100 feet. Aquifers can take thousands of years to recharge. For all practical purposes, once they re gone, that s it. You might ask why a Forest Service Chief should care so much about water. Water and soil are the primary natural resources we need to live to meet our most basic needs.
Water is tied to soil through watersheds.
A watershed is all the land drained by a single network of streams and lakes. Unchecked surface runoff from rain or snow can devastate a watershed. Soils can wash away, permanently degrading the land. But not in forests. Forest soils soak up water like sponges, letting it percolate into groundwater to recharge streams and maintain an even year-round flow.