2024 Ogallala Aquifer Summit
Held March 18-19, 2024 in Liberal, Kansas — “Building Trust, Mobilizing Collaboration”
Convening people from across the Ogallala region and beyond, the 2024 Ogallala Summit sold out, with over 230 people attending.
Goals: Share and explore how to encourage more of what’s working to sustain agriculture and communities in this important water-limited region.
New pub (Nov 2024): “Pathways to sustaining agriculture and communities in the Ogallala region”
Media coverage:
Drovers: Ogallala Aquifer Summit 2024: Tackling Tough Water Issues
Kansas Farmer: Time to address the Ogallala in the room
KCUR: To save water in the Ogallala, look to parts of Kansas already using less
High Plains Journal: Governor Kelly tells Ogallala Summit that Kansas’ future depends on water
Agenda & video links
March 18
VIDEO: Welcome from conference organizers, state hosts, and opening keynotes
Keynote: Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
Keynote: Kansas Senator Jerry Moran
VIDEO: Progress and change since the 2021 Ogallala Summit
Meagan Schipanski, Colorado State University
VIDEO: Applying Science and Data for Regional Agricultural Sustainability
Moderator: Elizabeth Ossowski - National Integrated Drought Information System
Panelists: Brownie Wilson - Kansas Geological Survey, Dave DeWitt - Climate Prediction Center, Jonathan Aguilar - Kansas State University, Rachel O’Connor - Environmental Defense Fund
VIDEO: Harnessing the Power of Peer Networks for Ag Sustainability
Moderator: Daran Rudnick - Kansas State University
Panelists: Brian Lengel - Colorado Master Irrigator, Jack Russell - Middle Republican Natural Resources District, Chris Grotegut -Soil for Water
March 19
VIDEO: Understanding Ogallala Region Cross-Cutting Risk: Water, Climate, and the Economy
Moderator: Vincent Gauthier - Manager, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Environmental Defense Fund
Panelists: Renata Rimšaitė - University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nathan Hendricks - Kansas State University
VIDEO: Mobilizing Supply Chain Partners to Support Ag Sustainability
Moderator: Ben Weinheimer, Texas Cattle Feeders Association
Panelists: Nick Osman - Regrow, Joel Jarnagin - Cobalt Cattle, Andy Lyon -Trust in Beef
VIDEO: Building the Future We Want: Thinking and Acting Intergenerationally
Moderator: James Rattling Leaf - North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center
Panelists: Katie Durham - Kansas Groundwater Management District 1, Rosy Brummette - Staff for CO Senator Bennet, Chuck Pfeifer - Garden City Community College, Clint Evans - USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service-Colorado
Summit co-coordination + sponsorship:
Summit Sponsors:
Facilitation led by:
We look forward to continuing the conversation!
About the 2018 Ogallala Summit, in Garden City, Kansas
About the 2021 Ogallala Summit, held virtually
