by Through the years, the Ogallala Aquifer Program (OAP) has won several awards for its work on improving the sustainability of agricultural industries and rural communities in the region through innovative scientific research and technology transfer.
In 2013, the program received the Honor Award for Excellence from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for sustaining rural prosperity on the drought-prone Southern High Plains by finding solutions to problems arising from declining water in the Ogallala Aquifer.
The program received Save Texas Water Blue Legacy Award for Agriculture in 2012 by the Texas Water Conservation Advisory Council for its efforts related to agricultural water conservation. The Blue Legacy Award annually recognizes outstanding water conservation efforts and successes of the agriculture community. According to the council, award winners were selected based on their demonstrated willingness and commitment to incorporate water conservation practices into their operations as well as their leadership in furthering water conservation in their communities or within the industry.
In 2011 the program was recognized as an Exemplary Example of Cooperative Research and Development Programs at the Agriculture, Food, Nutrition and Natural Resources R&D Round Table. The round table was organized by Farm Foundation, NFP, Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, Institute of Food Technologists, Federation of Animal Science Societies, the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America, and the Crop Science Society of America, in collaboration with USDA’s Research, Education and Economics Mission Area, the USDA Forest Service and USDA’s National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension and Economics Advisory Board.
