The underground Ogallala pool stretches underground from Texas to South Dakota and provides water to one-fifth of all the irrigated land in the United States.

According to a report by the nonprofit Environmental Defense group, between three and six gallons of water are needed to produce just one gallon of ethanol. This could increase the demand on the declining Ogallala aquifer by as much as 2.6 billion gallons a year just to process the corn and produce the fuel. That doesn't include the 120 billion gallons estimated for irrigation to grow more corn in the region. Nor does it include the water needed for other crops and livestock in the Midwest.

Meanwhile, nine new ethanol plants are already planned for some of the areas in that region.

As the United States has tried to release itself from the grips of foreign oil, many have turned to ethanol as the cure-all. But the alternative fuel caused some unexpected side effects. In addition to sucking up water, the transition to ethanol sent corn prices sky-high this year, affecting prices of everything from corn and tortillas to livestock feed.