Kansas Geological Survey to measure water wells in western Kansas

LAWRENCE -- Water specialists from the Kansas Geological Survey, based at the University of Kansas, will measure water levels in more than 500 water wells in central and western Kansas during the first week of January.

The measurements will be made in cooperation with the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, which measures an additional 700 wells. Together the Survey and the division measure wells in 47 counties in the central and western parts of the state.

Water managers and agencies use the results to understand general trends in groundwater levels in Kansas. Private landowners and businesses also rely on the information to make water-related decisions. Most of the measured wells are used for irrigation and tap into the High Plains aquifer, which includes the well-known Ogallala aquifer. The High Plains aquifer lies under much of western and central Kansas.

The wells are measured in January, after the end of the irrigation season.

"To get the most useful water data, we need to sample the same wells at about the same time each year, using consistent, proven and defensible methods," said Rick Miller, chief of the Survey's exploration services section and one of the Survey staff measuring wells this year.

Weather permitting, Survey crews will begin measurements in northwestern Kansas on Jan. 2, then will move south, working in the area around Syracuse, Garden City and Liberal on Jan. 3, 4 and 5. They will complete measurements around Dodge City on Jan. 6, depending on weather and road conditions.

Last year's measurements showed that water levels dropped an average of about 2.5 feet in northwestern Kansas, 4.75 feet in southwestern Kansas and 1.5 feet in west-central Kansas from January 2002 to January 2003. Those declines probably were related to heavier-than-usual pumping associated with the recent drought.

Measurements of individual wells made in January 2003 (as well as historical measurement data) are available at the Survey's Web site, http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Magellan/WaterLevels/index.html. Results of measurements made next month will be available at the same site in February.

Miller said that Survey crews appreciate the cooperation shown by local landowners during previous measurement trips, and they look forward to the same cooperation during this and future measurements.

"The help and cooperation of local landowners and the communities of western Kansas are crucial to this program," said Miller. "These data are important in effective water management, and they would not be available without their cooperation."