Kansas High Plains Aquifer Atlas
The High Plains aquifer is a massive network of water-bearing formations that underlies parts of eight states and includes the extensive Ogallala aquifer, the Great Bend Prairie aquifer in central Kansas, and the Equus Beds aquifer north and west of Wichita. The network is the primary source of industrial and irrigation water for much of western and central Kansas and public water for cities such as Wichita, Hutchinson, and Garden City.
The High Plains Aquifer Atlas, compiled by the Kansas Geological Survey, features more than 70 maps—several animated or interactive—that can be used to investigate such timely topics as changes in groundwater levels and availability of groundwater over time, water use, water rights, and the region's climate conditions.
Four animated maps in the atlas illustrate
- rise, fall, and fluctuations in groundwater levels throughout the aquifer from 1996 to 2014
- rapid development of water rights across the state from 1940 to 2010
- statewide increase in irrigation from 1940 to 2010
- changes in irrigation technology in the High Plains aquifer region from 1991 to 2010
An interactive map provides access to annual water-level measurement data for 1,000 individual wells and water levels in three continuously monitored wells are available in real time. The three western Kansas wells are monitored continuously by the KGS and the data are updated every two hours.
Resources