THE DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES OF THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WORKS WITH THE SURVEY IN THE PROJECT BY MEASURING AN ADDITIONAL 7-HUNDRED WELLS. TOGETHER THE SURVEY AND THE DIVISION MEASURE WELLS IN 47 COUNTIES IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN KANSAS.

THE RESULTS ARE USED BY WATER MANAGERS AND AGENCIES TO UNDERSTAND GENERAL TRENDS IN GROUNDWATER LEVELS IN THE STATE. LANDOWNERS, LENDERS AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS ALSO USE THE RESULTS TO HELP DETERMINE LAND VALUES.

REX BUCHANAN IS AN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE KANSAS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. HE SAYS MOST OF THE WELLS THAT ARE MEASURED 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.

SURVEY CREWS WILL BEGIN MEASUREMENTS IN GOODLAND AND COLBY ON JANUARY 2. THEY WILL THEN MOVE SOUTH, WORKING IN THE AREA AROUND SYRACUSE, GARDEN CITY AND LIBERAL ON JANUARY 3, 4 AND 5, RESPECTIVELY. THEY WILL COMPLETE MEASUREMENTS AROUND DODGE CITY ON JANUARY 6. BUCHANAN SAYS HE EXPECTS SOME DECLINE IN THE WELL WATER LEVELS THIS YEAR.
Buchanan: "When we measured these same wells in 2003, some of these regions we were seeing declines that averaged three, three-and-a-half feet, and that's an indication that that previous year was pretty tough. I think we are liable to see some very similar things this year." (15 sec.)

BUCHANAN SAYS THE WINTER MONTHS ARE THE BEST TIMES TO TAKE MEASUREMENTS.
Buchanan: "We try to do these in January every year because first of all, there's no pumping that time of year and you need to make these measurements when the wells are shut off. Also, that's far enough from the end of the irrigation season that the water levels in the wells have had time to stabilize, recover a little bit." (15 sec.)

TO ALERT THE LANDOWNERS AND WELL OPERATORS OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS, BUCHANAN'S TEAM TAGS EACH WELL ONCE THE WATER LEVELS ARE MEASURED.
Buchanan: "We leave a tag with the results of the measurements on there for the landowner to pick up. We leave the number, actually, for that year and then the previous two years. Typically, a landowner will take that tag off and keep it around so they can use those numbers to know exactly what their water levels are year after year." (14 sec.)

BUCHANAN SAYS THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM DEPENDS ON THE COOPERATION OF THE LANDOWNERS AND THE FARMERS.
Buchanan: "Almost in every case the landowners have been very cooperative and there hasn't been an issue. And we really appreciate that because we've got an awful lot of wells to measure in a fairly short amount of time. And so what you'd like to be able to do is get on that well and get a number and get off of it just as quickly as possible." (16 sec.)

BUCHANAN SAYS STATE WATER MANAGERS USE THE INFORMATION TO HELP MAKE WATER POLICY DECISIONS.
Buchanan: "The primary reason that we're doing this is to give the people that deal with water issues in the state some sense of what trends have been doing. You can't really manage the water in Kansas if you don't know if water levels are declining, if they're stabilized, how effective some of the measures you have taken have been." (15 sec.)