Near here in Wisconsin is "Glacial Lake Wisconsin", a large, flat sandy area at the edge of the moraine of the last glacier. They grow a lot of potatoes and corn, much of the tilled ground is irrigated. Not far below under the surface is a large aquifer that feeds a lot of the midwest. My brother has a home on the banks of a small stream that flows from the moraine, through the sands and into the Wisconsin River. There is a portion of the stream that dries up, disappearing for periods of time into a dry streambed before emerging again.
Farmers irrigate without monitoring how much water they're putting on, or how much is needed by the crops. [It's like my stupid neighbors, with their automatic lawn sprinkling systems throwing on water when it's pouring rain and has rained the last couple days straight.] They pull down the aquifer, thus drying up the stream until it flows through more hills that replenish it. In addition, they pile on the fertilizer and weed killer the same way as irrigated water. Some of those chemicals leaches to the ground water and pollutes local drinking wells.
These same farmers have also removed all windbreaks, tilling as close to the road, or fence as possible. As a result, the top soil is gone, right down to the pan developed by plowing.
I know our local soil scientist, who has spent years trying to work with farmers on taking a more scientific approach to farming. Most farmers don't want to hear it. Distrust of the government is one reason. Pure, ridiculous stubbornness is another.
