Many years back, I was commissioned by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Playa Lakes Joint Venture (one of many such “joint venture” public/private partnerships across the nation, each with its own conservation focus) to write a feature story about playas and the crucial role they play in groundwater recharge in the Ogallala aquifer.
Truly a brilliant and lyrical piece, Chad. Human hubris is singularly dangerous, guiding as it does so many of the short-sighted actions that we take as a species, with little regard for the longer-term consequences. “Don’t worry—I’ve got this” seems to be the chanted mantra of all those for whom giving their actions a second thought is far too inconvenient to consider, because the only response is, “No, dude—you DON’T got this.” Keep writing—your work shines light in all the right and consequential places.
It's a really common belief that aquifers are this static, ancient, thing with no dynamics at play. I still call it fossil water myself, but kind of a living fossil, I suppose...
Great story on playas, I thought of these as a relatively simplistic seasonal "mud puddle" until was hired to do a playa health assessment and erosion control guide by the state of New Mexico on their eastern plains and the Plano Estecado. Truly fascinating habitat islands and incredibly complex systems. Thanks for the more poetic approach to describing them instead of my dry engineering terminology.
Truly a brilliant and lyrical piece, Chad. Human hubris is singularly dangerous, guiding as it does so many of the short-sighted actions that we take as a species, with little regard for the longer-term consequences. “Don’t worry—I’ve got this” seems to be the chanted mantra of all those for whom giving their actions a second thought is far too inconvenient to consider, because the only response is, “No, dude—you DON’T got this.” Keep writing—your work shines light in all the right and consequential places.
Thank you!
Thanks very interesting. I had heard the aquifer was fossil water. Heartening to hear there may be a chance for recovery.
It's a really common belief that aquifers are this static, ancient, thing with no dynamics at play. I still call it fossil water myself, but kind of a living fossil, I suppose...
Great story on playas, I thought of these as a relatively simplistic seasonal "mud puddle" until was hired to do a playa health assessment and erosion control guide by the state of New Mexico on their eastern plains and the Plano Estecado. Truly fascinating habitat islands and incredibly complex systems. Thanks for the more poetic approach to describing them instead of my dry engineering terminology.
That's cool! They are fascinating things, aren't they? I thought the same before I saw my first one, but they are so much more.