Unique AFCEC projects help installations stay mission ready

Published March 13, 2024

By Aneta Veedmont, AFIMSC Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Several unique environmental resilience projects spearheaded by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center are helping installations maintain readiness as climate change uncertainties threaten to disrupt operations.

At Cannon AFB, the REPI team and the Ogallala Land & Water Conservancy (OLWC) are collaborating to conserve water resources in the area and sustain mission readiness at the installation.

Surrounded by an agricultural community, the base relies on water supply from the Ogallala Aquifer, which is also extensively used to irrigate working landscapes northwest of Cannon AFB. The aquifer’s rapidly depleting groundwater coupled with the limited rainfall the region receives, prompted the Air Force to work on a sustainable groundwater conservation project with local landowners through the partnership with OLWC.

“Lack of water is a critical issue that threatens Cannon’s operations and mission readiness,” said Jason Rose, AFCEC’s Program Manager who is part of the working group. “Loss of mission would also impact the region’s economy as the operations at Cannon generate more than 6,000 jobs.”

Using $1.75 million in REPI funds, the installation took a unique approach by implementing a water lease program to secure three-year short-term agreements from the landowners in the paleochannel.

“OLWC negotiated the purchase of water rights from the landowners willing to cease irrigation and transition to dryland farming or grasslands,” Jason Rose said. “Once the short-term three-year agreements expire, OLWC will execute, with willing landowners, conservation easements that help change the use of these lands to low water use.”

The $3.5 million partnership has so far purchased the agreements for year one and two. With nine participating landowners, a total of 3.5 billion gallons of water will be saved annually in support of the Air Force mission. The action will also improve and restore declining habitats, such as the Playa Lake which provides ground water recharge.

The benefits to the environment and surrounding community will have long-term positive effects according to the AFCEC team.

“The majority of what we do that pertains to building resiliency is often not something we are going to physically see,” Shawn Rose said. “That is really the essence of REPI and resiliency.”