‘Adapt or die’: Farmers in western Kansas consider alternative crops to save water

Where you get your water largely depends on your location in Kansas. The western part of the state relies almost entirely on water pumped from underground. Sunday Siomades/Kansas Geological Survey
Where you get your water largely depends on your location in Kansas. The western part of the state relies almost entirely on water pumped from underground. Sunday Siomades/Kansas Geological Survey

Western Kansas is running out of the water needed to fuel irrigated agriculture. Why is it so hard for farmers to switch to alternative crops?

GRAY COUNTY, Kansas — In dry western Kansas, the sound of artificial rain spraying from center pivot irrigation sprinklers fills the spaces between the small towns.

Irrigation has turned this region into a productive agricultural powerhouse, churning out mill…