The rapid expansion of AI data centers is bringing a new environmental question to the forefront across the Great Plains: can one of America’s most important groundwater reserves support both a growing digital economy and the agricultural communities that already depend on it?
New mapping compiled by Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting shows that several proposed and under-construction AI facilities are located directly above, or immediately adjacent to, the Ogallala Aquifer, a groundwater system that underpins much of America’s agricultural production.
The findings arrive as local governments in Texas and Wyoming are increasingly being asked to weigh the economic benefits of AI investment against long-term concerns about water availability.
The Projects
Among the projects attracting attention are several large AI-focused campuses in Texas and Wyoming, two states that sit above portions of the Ogallala Aquifer.
In Ector County, Texas, a 438-acre campus near Odessa is planned, with full construction expected to start later in 2026. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, Microsoft announced a “multiyear” plan to make $68 million worth of infrastructure improvements on 3,200 additional acres.
Three more projects have been proposed near the aquifer. In Natrona County, Wyoming, a 1.5 GW liquid-cooled AI data center campus is targeting a 2028 operational deadline. In San Angelo, Texas, two large AI campuses have been proposed: Skybox, on around 350 acres of city-owned land, and Beacon Data Center Dove Creek, which is still in the early stages of planning.
Alongside these, four data centers are already under construction over the Ogallala Aquifer, primarily in Texas and Wyoming, including the massive Fermi Project Matador in Amarillo, Texas, an 11 GW campus on 5,769 acres.
The Ogallala Aquifer
The Ogallala Aquifer stretches beneath eight states — South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas — and remains one of the most important groundwater resources in North America. It supports roughly 30 percent of US groundwater irrigation and helps sustain about one-fifth of American agricultural production.
Decades of agricultural withdrawals have dramatically reduced water levels in parts of the aquifer. In some locations, groundwater levels have fallen by more than 200 feet, far exceeding natural recharge rates.
Sudeep Pasricha, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Colorado State University, told Newsweek that “in some subregions, water losses have been sustained for decades, with depletion rates reaching over 100,000 acre-feet per year and nearly 27 percent of stored water already gone in places.”
Scientists warn the aquifer is being mined, not replenished. According to Pasricha, “unlike surface reservoirs, the aquifer recharges extremely slowly,” with recharge rates in parts of the Great Plains often less than an inch per year — far below the amount being taken for irrigation. This means lost water may take “centuries to millennia in some areas” to return.
Water Use and AI
The water consumption of AI data centers is substantial. Pasricha said that “large facilities can use up to five million gallons per day, comparable to a town of tens of thousands of people.”
Some hyperscale campuses consume relatively modest amounts of water, while others can rival the daily needs of small communities. At a national level, US data centers consumed about 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, largely for cooling. One estimate puts total US data center water consumption at 163.7 billion gallons per year.
However, the projects are not technologically identical. Some facilities are specifically being marketed as lower-water designs. Related Digital’s Cheyenne campus, for example, has emphasized highly efficient air-cooled systems intended to minimize consumptive water use.
Community Concerns
Water availability is increasingly becoming a local political issue. Farmers, ranchers, municipal officials, and residents across parts of Texas and Wyoming are seeking details about water sourcing, cooling technologies, and long-term sustainability plans.
In Tom Green County, Texas, county commissioners voted to reject a moratorium on data center development following a massive public protest where over 500 residents opposed a proposed project. Local officials are increasingly weighing economic development against uncertainty surrounding future resource demands.
The Bottom Line
Several proposed and under-construction AI data centers are located above or near the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest underground water reservoir in the United States. The aquifer supports roughly 30% of US groundwater irrigation and about one-fifth of American agricultural production. Decades of withdrawals have already reduced water levels. Researchers warn that the cumulative impact of multiple hyperscale campuses drawing from the same groundwater system could create significant long-term consequences for water availability in Texas, Wyoming, and across the Great Plains.
