Farmers drained jaw-dropping amounts of water from Minnesota aquifers in 2021

Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” but climate change and more frequent flash droughts are putting pressure on water supplies in Minnesota. And recent reporting reveals large farms are also stretching supplies.

The New York Times found that large farms in the state were pumping billions of gallons from underground aquifers to sustain drought-stressed crops — and the nation’s hunger for picture-perfect french fries — in 2021. And they pumped significantly more than the state allows.

Reporter Dionne Searcey drove across Minnesota to report on the impacts of this. She joined Climate Cast to share what she found.

Click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast for to hear the conversation.