Texas farmers are worried one of the state’s most precious water resources is running dry. You should be, too.

Field technician supervisor Billy Barron uses an e-line water level meter to check the level of a water well in a pecan orchard in Lubbock County. Barron was checking water levels near the High Plains Underground Water Conservation office on Jan. 13. (Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune)

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LUBBOCK — The Ogallala Aquifer is buried deep throughout the High Plains. The water flowing underneath is as good as gold for farmers in the region, serving as a lifeline in years when the drought and Texas heat wither crops.