At present rates of consumption, much of the Ogallala Aquifer will be barren and production in the region that now supplies about 40 percent of the nation's beef and grain will drop sharply. As that happens, ripple effects will be felt in High Plains economies and communities as they begin to deal with slow depopulation and search for economic alternatives to their traditional agricultural bases (Postel, 1993). As you might imagine, since I am from Nebraska, this issue hits pretty close to home.