Light reading on the Clovis water situation:
Ute Lake Pipeline Project
Ogallala Aquifer Depletion
Clovis Water Facts
BL: It rarely rains in Clovis. There is zero naturally replenishing surface water within 50+ miles. The only water source is the Ogallala Aquifer deep underground. Beneath Clovis, it used to range in usable depth of 60-70 feet of water. In the 15 or so years since the dairies have opened and been freely drawing from it, it's dropped to approximately 15 feet. Every source indicates that Clovis will run out, but there's greatly varying opinions as to when. They want to spend $500 million to build a pipeline from the reservoir that is 100 miles to the north to bring water in. 75% of the funds for that pipeline would be federal, and it would destroy a unique ecology and resort environment that's developed at that reservoir. They also don't know if the pipeline would provide sufficient water to continue to supply the dairies insatiable demand (approx. 97% of the current aquifer draw).