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Kansas Geological Survey, Bull. 119, part 1, originally published in 1956
Next page--Hydrology, Summary, References


Progress Report on the Ground-water Hydrology of the Equus Beds Area, Kansas

by G. J. Stramel

U. S. Geological Survey

Prepared by the United States Geological Survey and the State Geological Survey of Kansas with the cooperation of the Division of Sanitation of the Kansas State Board of Health, the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, and the City of Wichita, Kansas.

Cover of the book; blue paper; black text.

Originally published in 1956 as Kansas Geological Survey Bull. 119, part 1. This is, in general, the original text as published. The information has not been updated. An Acrobat PDF version (15 MB) is also available; plate available separately.

Abstract

This report describes an investigation of the availability of ground water in the well field of the city of Wichita within the area known as the Equus beds in south-central Kansas, and the general hydrology of the Equus beds area.

By January 1, 1955, the City of Wichita had pumped 330,000 acre-feet of water from the well field. As of January 1955, the water level had declined a maximum of 32 feet in the well field. The decline of the water table is small, however, compared to the thickness of the saturated deposits. In January 1955, the depth to water in the well field ranged from 5 to 47 feet. The water table is affected by the city's pumping in an area of about 100 square miles, As of January 1955, about 67 percent of the water pumped from the well field by the city of Wichita had come from recharge by precipitation. The primary source of water for recharge to the well field is local precipitation falling on the land surface, and the seasonal rise of the water levels correlates closely with precipitation.

The water-bearing materials consist of unconsolidated deposits of sand, gravel, silt, and clay of Pleistocene age. The hydraulic gradient of the water table in the well field is toward Little Arkansas River, and some water is being discharged into it, although most of the water moving across the well field is intercepted by pumping.

If the Wichita well field is expanded, a larger area will be influenced by pumping, and the perennial yield will be correspondingly larger. If the well field were expanded to include all the Equus beds area, the perennial yield would be many times larger than the amount of water pumped in 1955 by the city of Wichita.

The hydrology and geology may be favorable in parts of the well field for artificial recharge. Additional data must be collected before the best method and the economic feasibility of artificially recharging the well field can be determined.

A map of the generalized geology of the Equus beds area and figures showing the water-table contours, changes in water levels during specific periods, cross sections, pumpage charts, precipitation graphs, and hydrographs of water-level fluctuations are given in this report,

Plate 1

Plate 1--Map of Wichita well field showing location of wells

Introduction

This study of the ground-water hydrology of the Equus beds area has been made as a part of the cooperative program of groundwater investigations in Kansas by the United States Geological Survey, the State Geological Survey of Kansas, the Division of Sanitation of the Kansas State Board of Health, the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, and the City of Wichita, Kansas. The status of the Kansas cooperative ground-water program is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1--Map of Kansas showing area covered by this report and other areas for which cooperative ground-water reports have been published or are in preparation.

This project takes place in Sedgwick and Harvey counties, south-central Kansas.

The extent of the Equus beds area is shown in Figure 2. It includes parts of McPherson, Harvey, Reno, and Sedgwick Counties. The area shown in Figure 2 comprises 65 townships or about 2,340 square miles. The deposits now loosely referred to as the Equus beds in this area include all Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits. The Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits are bordered by Permian and Cretaceous rocks. A smaller area comprising 10% townships or about 378 square miles, which contains the municipal wells of the city of Wichita, is referred to in this report as the well-field area.

Figure 2--Generalized geologic map of Equus beds area and outline of well-field area. (Adapted from Williams and Lohman, 1949, pl. 1.)

Map of parts of McPherson, Harvey, Sedgwick, Reno, and Marion counties showing area of Pleistocene and Pliocene deposits and Wichita well-field area.

Williams and Lohman (1947,1949) made an extensive study of the ground-water resources of the Equus beds area. This report presents the progress of studies to determine the effects that pumping by the city of Wichita has had on the water level in the Equus beds area, how much water has been removed from storage, how much water remains in storage, the recharge characteristics of the area, and the long-term yield of the water-bearing deposits.

Acknowledgments

Appreciation and gratitude are expressed for the interest and personal assistance of R. H. Hess, Director, Water Supply and Sewage Treatment, O. K. Brandon, Water-Supply Supervisor, and S. A. Smith, Well-Field Supervisor, of the Wichita Water Department. The writer is indebted to many farmers who live in the well-field area for their courtesy in supplying information concerning the decline of the water table.

The manuscript of this report has been reviewed by several members of the Federal and State Geological Surveys; by R. H. Hess, Superintendent, Water Supply and Sewage Treatment Divisions, Wichita; by Dwight Metzler, Director and Chief Engineer, and W. O. Hilton, Division of Sanitation, Kansas State Board of Health; and by R. V. Smrha, Chief Engineer, and George S. Knapp, Engineer, Division of Water Resources, Kansas State Board of Agriculture.

Climate

The following climatic data are presented to provide a basis for interpreting and correlating water-level fluctuations due to weather phenomena and have been taken from the U. S. Weather Bureau records for the Wichita station. The records of the Wichita weather station have been used because they represent the average weather for the area outlined in this report, and the Wichita station is the only complete meteorological station in the area.

Wichita has a mean annual temperature of 57.0°F. The city lies in the path of masses of warm, moist air moving northward from the Gulf of Mexico, which alternate with currents of cold, dry air moving southward from the polar regions. Consequently, the weather is subject to frequent and abrupt changes. Summers are generally warm; winters are generally mild. The recorded temperatures at Wichita have ranged from 114° on July 12, 1936, to -22° on February 12, 1899. On an average, 51 days a year have temperatures of 90° or above, and 2 days a year have temperatures of 0° or lower.

Average annual precipitation based on a 67-year record is 30.06 inches, the greatest precipitation falling in the spring and summer and the least in the late fall and winter. In 1951, the wettest year on record, 50.48 inches of precipitation fell; in 1954, the driest year on record, 14.53 inches fell. Monthly and annual precipitation data for the Wichita weather station are given in Table 1.

Table 1--Monthly and annual precipitation, in inches, at Wichita, Kansas, 1888-1954.

Year Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Ann.
1888 1.04 7.77 1.89 1.36 1.29 0.71  
1889 0.82 0.57 2.41 5.18 3.88 7.89 4.72 3.79 2.10 2.14 1.14 .03 34.67
1890 2.12 .35 .14 3.36 2.17 5.05 .95 2.60 1.96 2.39 1.72 .99 24.07
1891 2.66 1.95 3.36 1.26 9.15 4.90 5.59 .40 .72 2.95 .47 1.12 34.53
1892 .31 2.62 4.03 2.05 5.83 1.70 2.75 4.06 2.12 2.52 .24 1.71 29.94
1893 .19 .80 1.09 .25 2.22 3.41 5.02 1.51 2.10 .02 .91 .67 18.19
1894 .78 1.01 .72 3.33 2.02 9.43 1.72 .94 9.72 2.10 .01 .75 32.44
1895 .57 1.19 1.81 .40 2.77 4.47 2.74 7.67 .86 .81 1.80 1.37 26.46
1896 .62 .37 1.58 3.26 3.02 7.10 3.40 .31 3.08 2.27 1.42 .63 27.06
1897 1.23 1.31 3.34 3.66 2.48 1.99 1.49 4.33 1.22 3.89 .10 .97 26.01
1898 1.97 3.04 .95 5.16 8.32 5.24 5.30 2.78 1.55 2.02 1.13 2.00 39.46
1899 .38 .20 2.53 1.58 5.72 6.81 4.62 2.45 4.75 1.55 1.09 1.81 33.49
1900 .10 2.10 .83 2.77 6.50 3.41 2.16 1.69 5.64 5.71 .21 .73 31.85
1901 .25 1.29 1.52 5.83 1.40 3.16 3.44 2.00 3.04 3.86 1.16 .52 27.47
1902 .32 .75 2.79 .87 10.33 7.11 4.12 5.28 2.69 2.02 1.76 .69 38.73
1903 .08 1.71 1.61 3.31 7.97 1.26 1.46 4.46 2.25 5.96 .75 .26 31.08
1904 .12 .04 4.23 2.65 5.74 5.69 7.46 1.42 3.10 .35 .07 .24 31.11
1905 .45 .64 3.67 2.14 4.24 5.53 5.39 1.34 6.70 1.63 2.59 .21 34.53
1906 .53 .58 1.68 3.09 3.40 1.82 6.88 3.30 4.33 2.12 2.92 .35 31.00
1907 2.97 1.53 .81 .91 4.12 3.62 3.37 5.80 1.88 4.10 .79 1.61 31.51
1908 .16 2.50 .80 1.77 9.28 5.85 2.96 6.57 3.21 2.24 2.34 .03 37.71
1909 .27 .89 1.47 1.59 3.64 5.71 3.26 1.01 1.77 2.95 6.69 1.31 30.56
1910 .55 .63 T .96 5.11 1.94 1.24 4.52 1.56 .52 T .69 17.72
1911 .02 4.23 .10 2.19 4.66 T 5.95 4.32 10.56 .94 .87 3.05 36.89
1912 .12 2.32 3.07 3.87 5.18 3.27 1.28 3.14 3.36 2.18 .50 .85 29.14
1913 .41 2.43 .30 1.83 .97 1.36 1.28 T 3.52 4.18 1.73 3.93 21.94
1914 T 1.58 1.13 1.70 4.31 3.83 1.60 3.68 3.39 1.38 .11 .61 23.32
1915 1.35 4.61 1.97 3.29 8.34 5.90 3.82 4.81 4.69 1.66 .39 .40 41.23
1916 1.90 .13 1.50 3.87 5.11 8.32 .10 2.12 .86 2.32 2.93 .46 29.62
1917 .41 T .66 2.52 4.84 .32 1.41 4.69 .92 .11 .02 .21 16.11
1918 .89 1.93 2.44 4.14 5.86 1.29 2.11 5.19 1.80 5.98 3.62 3.31 38.56
1919 T 2.49 2.37 4.40 4.72 2.63 .71 1.61 .23 1.64 1.99 .14 22.98
1920 .41 .32 1.13 1.56 2.97 3.76 4.05 4.40 4.16 2.75 2.68 1.76 29.95
1921 1.30 .14 2.18 4.09 1.41 4.31 .71 4.14 4.05 .52 T .52 23.37
1922 .88 1.38 3.39 6.12 5.60 3.99 8.46 2.12 2.00 2.59 5.35 .06 41.94
1923 .02 T 1.70 1.64 5.47 14.43 .89 .42 3.26 5.52 1.26 .67 35.28
1924 .31 .58 2.61 4.38 2.93 .36 3.64 1.70 2.51 1.70 .80 1.21 22.73
1925 .76 .10 .54 4.55 2.09 3.68 1.72 2.52 4.43 1.33 1.64 .59 23.95
1926 .80 .44 2.16 1.64 2.47 3.03 3.47 2.74 5.01 5.68 1.63 1.11 30.18
1927 .55 1.02 3.90 4.80 2.13 4.66 3.85 5.90 3.93 2.96 .32 .83 34.85
1928 .10 1.79 2.24 5.26 2.79 12.10 3.46 .70 .58 1.48 5.45 1.58 37.53
1929 2.08 .65 .88 4.04 5.84 7.13 7.08 1.30 .98 3.23 1.59 .04 34.84
1930 1.24 T .22 1.68 5.02 2.36 1.06 2.96 5.29 2.55 3.05 .58 26.01
1931 .29 .64 2.52 2.49 2.37 5.50 :97 1.91 4.58 1.19 6.21 .69 29.36
1932 1.49 .94 .77 2.33 1.90 7.92 2.53 2.30 1.26 .40 .18 1.67 23.69
1933 .10 .34 1.72 .86 2.29 .83 2.34 8.50 1.39 .74 .85 1.85 21.81
1934 .72 1.03 1.16 3.10 4.14 1.78 1.77 .38 4.25 1.89 2.90 1.03 24.15
1935 .87 1.39 .98 1.86 11.22 7.21 .39 1.55 3.11 4.41 2.99 .25 36.23
1936 .94 .02 T .58 3.30 1.04 .21 .04 4.84 3.77 .01 .83 15.58
1937 1.54 .73 2.80 .57 4.13 3.99 4.77 2.86 1.80 1.12 .75 .58 25.64
1938 .12 2.48 1.91 2.85 8.14 4.49 2.24 5.60 2.62 .16 2.05 .15 32.81
1939 1.09 1.93 1.57 2.14 3.25 8.90 .72 5.84 .30 1.14 .81 .95 28.64
1940 1.40 1.43 .74 6.15 5.82 4.85 .94 2.87 6.14 1.05 3.82 1.56 36.77
1941 1.53 1.09 1.11 2.83 2.89 7.05 2.41 3.54 4.29 4.81 .78 .92 33.25
1942 .23 1.93 .88 7.08 1.67 8.69 2.34 4.51 7.21 3.77 .68 3.14 42.13
1943 .27 .67 1.21 1:94 6.59 3.43 6.51 1.95 3.14 1.83 .07 2.33 29.94
1944 1.01 1.34 4.55 12.42 2.04 1.60 5.49 4.77 2.20 2.20 1.93 3.98 43.53
1945 1.07 .84 1.85 6.79 1.28 4.00 5.01 4.11 10.58 .51 .05 .62 36.71
1946 2.21 1.23 1.81 1.87 2.11 2.71 .32 2.90 1.27 4.32 2.14 .78 23.67
1947 .71 .52 2.91 5.20 4.69 2.57 2.89 .82 .25 1.50 .89 2.98 25.93
1948 1.00 1.19 1.51 1.65 1.86 9.76 6.39 2.72 1.05 .67 3.30 .25 31.35
1949 6.29 1.80 2.01 3.85 6.15 3.16 6.97 1.13 3.62 1.91 .06 1.22 38.17
1950 .52 1.61 .50 .88 2.24 4.02 13.37 5.93 1.04 .48 .26 .02 30.87
1951 1.03 2.58 2.69 6.33 7.60 10.07 4.45 5.38 6.59 2.05 1.47 .24 50.48
1952 .41 .35 2.68 1.97 2.31 1.08 4.94 2.52 .28 .00 2.40 1.09 20.03
1953 .15 .82 3.35 .57 2.02 2.17 2.39 .82 .53 3.77 1.46 1.06 19.11
1954 .09 .57 1.30 1.54 4.84 .94 .19 .96 1.09 2.83 T .18 14.53
Average .85 1.21 1.80 3.05 4.35 4.52 3.28 3.12 3.10 2.28 1.54 1.04 30.06
T indicates trace. not enough to measure.

Thunderstorms occur on an average of 52 days a year, most frequently during spring and summer. Measurable snow has fallen between October and April; the greatest average amount, 3.6 inches, falls during February. March and April are the windiest months of the year, the wind velocity averaging 14.9 and 14.7 mph, respectively. August is the least windy, the velocity averaging 11.3 mph. The average annual wind velocity is 12.8 mph. The sun shines in Wichita during 69 percent of the time possible.

Pumpage

City of Wichita

Prior to 1940, the city of Wichita obtained its water supply from wells in the Arkansas River valley near the filtration plant. The city began pumping from the well field in the Equus beds area on September 1, 1940. At that time water was pumped from 25 wells. In 1949, 10 more wells were added to the system. The water from these wells flows through a 48-inch pipeline to the treatment plant at Wichita. The city of Wichita is by far the largest user of water in or near the well field.

A considerable increase in water consumption by the city of Wichita has resulted in a corresponding increase in withdrawal from the well field. From 1940 through 1954 a small quantity of water was pumped from wells near the city filtration plant. The water from these wells is of poor quality, but by mixing this water with water of good quality from the well field, a water of acceptable quality is obtained. Water is pumped from the wells near the filtration plant mostly during the summer when the water demand in Wichita is greater than the quantity of water that can be pumped through the 48-inch pipeline.

The quantity of water pumped from the wells near the filtration plant increased greatly from 1952 through 1954. Figure 3 shows the amount of pumpage by the city of Wichita from the well field, the amount obtained from wells near the filtration plant, and the total amount of pumpage. The quantity of water pumped from the well field is given by months also in Table 2. The quantity of water pumped from each well in the well field during the period 1940-1954 is shown in Figure 4. The largest quantities of water have been pumped from the wells that were put in operation in 1940.

Figure 3--Annual pumpage of water by city of Wichita, 1940-54.

Total volume pumped rose from almost 4 billion gallons in 1940 to almost 12 billion in 1954, most from Equus beds area.

Table 2--Pumpage by city of Wichita from well field, in million gallons, 1940-54.

Year 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954
Jan.   277.4 317.9 393.4 542.2 505.0 4988 510.7 592.8 641.3 670.1 674.7 805.1 733.1 656.8
Feb.   247.9 349.9 388.5 493.2 444.2 451.4 472.6 511.8 559.3 615.4 655.9 744.0 665.7 635.8
Mar.   269.7 337.5 422.6 516.3 514.8 489.0 507.3 521.6 507.2 630.6 732.0 794.9 722.0 653.5
Apr.   320.6 361.1 484.7 534.3 476.0 493.0 476.3 458.1 575.9 674.2 672.8 732.3 747.0 747.2
May   336.4 381.5 495.9 570.1 578.5 496.9 567.8 696.2 669.9 752.0 772.9 914.7 921.8 705.6
June   415.4 444.1 543.3 597.2 566.9 623.1 880.6 686.1 745.0 819.4 806.2 897.6 941.7 788.0
July   459.6 459:9 653.6 629.7 654.6 805.4 737.8 744.3 833.5 730.5 920.4 1,077.3 1,034.8 993.9
Aug.   483.3 625.9 643.3 652.9 665.7 723.7 835.2 749.4 821.0 758.5 993.8 1,102.7 1,027.4 975.7
Sept. 297.6 447.5 455.7 555.1 586.1 570.4 559.6 741.4 754.9 672.4 736.2 841.9 1,068.3 1,001.5 866.6
.Oct. 378.7 336.0 435.8 539.2 524.7 552.4 588.4 644.1 643.3 657.0 720.5 869.7 955.1 863.8 800.9
Nov. 316.6 345.7 384.6 517.8 496.5 479.5 494.7 549.4 562.2 617.8 693.0 779.0 1,059.3 809.0 713.8
Dec. 286.4 320.9 408.6 510.4 498.3 490.2 514.1 459.1 504.0 576.3 730.6 832.1 672.3 755.0 708.6
Annual
pumpage
1,279.3 4,260.4 4,962.5 6,149.8 6,641.5 6,498.3 6,738.1 7,382.3 7,424.7 7,876.6 8,531.0 9,551.4 10,823.6 10,222.3 9,246.4
Average
daily
pumpage
10.5 11.7 13.6 16.9 18.2 17.8 18.5 20.2 20.3 21.6 23.4 26.2 29.7 28.0 25.3
Annual
pumpage,
in thousand
acre-feet
3.9 13.1 15.2 18.9 20.4 20.0 20.7 22.7 22.8 24.2 26.2 29.3 33.2 31.4 28.4

Figure 4--Water pumped from each well in well field by city of Wichita, 1940-54.

Water pumped from each well in well field by city of Wichita, 1940-54.

Other municipal pumpage

Six municipalities other than Wichita use ground water from the area designated on Figure 2 as the well field. These cities are Burrton, Halstead, Mount Hope, Newton, Sedgwick, and Valley Center. During 1954, the average daily consumption by each municipality was: Burrton, 74,000 gallons; Halstead, 300,000 gallons; Mount Hope, 55,000 gallons; Newton, 2,200,000 gallons; Sedgwick, 250,000 gallons; and Valley Center, 200,000 gallons. The total average use of water by these six municipalities was 3,079,000 gallons per day, or 1,122,000,000 gallons per year (3,460 acre-feet).

The daily use by these cities increased substantially during the decade preceding 1955. The increase in use in these cities was caused by increased domestic and commercial use. In Newton, which is just east of the well field as shown in Figure 2, use of water for ordinary purposes has increased but total usage has increased very little because the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway is now using diesel locomotives and does not need the large quantities of water formerly used for the operation of steam locomotives.

Domestic and irrigation pumpage

About 175,000 gallons of ground water a day, or a total of 64 million gallons, was used during 1954 for rural domestic and stock use in the well-field area.

By the end of 1954, 10 irrigation wells in the well field were in operation or under construction. About 900 acres was being irrigated with water .from wells. Based on estimates by the owners, tenants, and the Soil Conservation Service, the amount of irrigation water pumped from wells during 1954 was about 700 acre-feet (228 million gallons). Some irrigation wells were completed late in 1954 and used only small quantities of water in that year. Three irrigators southeast of Halstead use surface water from Little Arkansas River to irrigate about 120 acres. The quantity of water used in 1954 from the river was about 100 acre-feet.

Observation-Well Program

An observation-well program was started in the Equus beds area in 1937. Some original observation wells have been replaced, and many new wells have been added since 1937. As of January 1955, there were 223 observation wells in the well-field area, most of which are measured monthly. Some wells are measured more frequently than monthly, but others, only quarterly. Three wells are equipped with automatic water-stage recorders, which furnish a continuous record of water-level fluctuations.

The records obtained from these observation wells are published annually by the U. S. Geological Survey in the series of water-supply papers entitled "Water levels and artesian pressures in observation wells in the United States." The numbers of these water-supply papers are as follows:

Year Water-Supply
Paper No.
1935 777
1936 817
1937 840
1938 845
1939 886
1940 908
1941 938
1942 946
1943 988
1944 1018
1945 1025
1946 1073
1947 1098
1948 1128
1949 1158
1950 1167
1951 1193
1952 1223
1953 1267

The locations of wells for which data are being collected are shown on Plate 1. These wells include Wichita supply wells, observation wells, and irrigation wells. Data pertaining to the many domestic and stock wells in the area have not been included in this report.

The observation wells, except for the pumped wells of the city of Wichita, are chiefly 1 1/4-inch drive-point wells and are used only for measuring water levels. Near each Wichita supply well are two 1 1/4-inch observation wells, at distances of 100 and 500 feet, respectively.

Excepting 12 wells, the well numbers on Plate 1 are numbers that were originally assigned in the field. These numbers are the same numbers that are used in the annual series of water level reports issued by the U. S. Geological Survey. The numbers of 12 wells have been changed to agree with the numbers used by the city of Wichita. The 12 well numbers formerly used in the annual series of water-level reports and the numbers as changed in this report are as follows:

Number formerly used in
water-supply papers
Number used by city of Wichita
and in this report
M-4 3
M-3 4
M-8 7
M-9 8
M-11 9
M-20 11
M-7 15
M-15 16
M-16 17
M-17 18
M-18 19
M-19 20

Table 3 correlates the numbers used in this report with the numbers used by Williams and Lohman (1949). On Plate 1, a line below a well symbol indicates that there are 2 or 3 observation wells screened at different depths at that location.

Table 3--Correlation of well numbers used in this report with well numbers used in Bulletin 79, and depths of wells

Well No. in
this report
Well No. used
in Bull. 79
Location Depth of well,
feet
*1 311 NW NW sec. 29-23-2 222
1a 312 NW NW sec. 29-23-2 71
1b 313 NW NW sec. 29-23-2 69
*2 314 NW SW sec. 29-23-2 234
2a 315 NW SW sec. 29-23-2 67
2b 316 NW SW sec. 29-23-2 68
*3 322 SE SE sec. 30-23-2 234
3a 323 SE SE sec. 30-23-2 69
3b 324 SE SE sec. 30-23-2 69
*4 317 SE SW sec. 29-23-2 238
4a 318 SE SW sec. 29-23-2 66
4b 319 SE SW sec. 29-23-2 97
*5 330 NW SW sec. 32-23-2 237
5a 331 NW SW sec. 32-23-2 71
5b 332 NW SW sec. 32-23-2 59
*6 333 SW SW sec. 32-23-2 257
6a 334 SW SW sec. 32-23-2 51
6b 335 SW SW sec. 32-23-2 51
*7 415 SE NE sec. 6-24-2 257
7a 416 SE NE sec. 6-24-2 51
7b 417 SE NE sec. 6-24-2 54
*8 423 NW NW sec. 8-24-2 248
8a 424 NW NW sec. 8-24-2 51
8b 425 NW NW sec. 8-24-2 51
*9 429 SW NW sec. 8-24-2 227
9a 430 SW NW sec. 8-24-2 48
9b 431 SW NW sec. 8-24-2 48
*10 419 NE NW sec. 8-24-2 259
10a 420 NE NW sec. 8-24-2 51
10b 421 NE NW sec. 8-24-2 51
*11 426 NW SE sec. 8-24-2 248
11a 427 NW SE sec. 8-24-2 51
11b 428 NW SE sec. 8-24-2 51
*12 436 NW SW sec. 9-24-2 236
12a 437 NW SW sec. 9-24-2 69
12b 438 NW SW sec. 9-24-2 69
*13 459 NW NE sec. 17-24-2 245
13a 460 NW NE sec. 17-24-2 51
13b 461 NW NE sec. 17-24-2 51
*14 450 NW NW sec. 16-24-2 102
14a 451 NW NW sec. 16-24-2 50
14b 439 SW SW sec. 9-24-2 57
*15 455 NW SW sec. 16-24-2 122
15a 456 NW SW sec. 16-24-2 51
15b 457 SW NW sec. 16-24-2 51
*16 433 SE NE sec. 9-24-2 193
16a 434 SE NE sec. 9-24-2 67
16b 435 SE NE sec. 9-24-2 62
*17 440 SE SE sec. 29-24-2 193
17a 441 SE SE sec. 29-24-2 57
17b 442 SE SE sec. 29-24-2 56
*18 452 NE SE sec. 16-24-2 185
18a 453 NE SE sec. 16-24-2 51
18b 454 NE SE sec. 16-24-2 51
*19 465 SE SW sec. 22-24-2 158
19a 466 SE SW sec. 22-24-2 72
19b 467 SE SW sec. 22-24-2 63
*20 479 NE NE sec. 27-24-2 145
20a 480 NE NE sec. 27-24-2 60
20b 481 NE NE sec. 27-24-2 51
*21 473 SW SW sec. 26-24-2 80
21a 474 SW SW sec. 26-24-2 51
21b 475 SW SW sec. 26-24-2 51
*22 476 SW SE sec. 26-24-2 82
22a 477 SW SE sec. 26-24-2 51
22b 478 SE SW sec. 26-24-2 50
*23 487 SE NE sec. 35-24-2 204
23a 488 SE NE sec. 35-24-2 51
23b 489 SE NE sec. 35-24-2 51
*24 491 SE SE sec. 35-24-2 97
24a 492 SE SE sec. 35-24-2 54
24b 493 SE SE sec. 35-24-2 51
*25 494 SW SE sec. 36-24-2 189
25a 495 SE SE sec. 35-24-2 50
25b 567 NE NW sec. 1-25-2 51
*26 SW NE sec. 22-24-2 195
26a SW NW sec. 22-24-2 81
26b SW NW sec. 22-24-2 79
*27 NW NW sec. 2-25-2 215
27a NW NW 2-25-2 82
27b NE NE sec. 3-25-2 80
*28 NE NW sec. 2-25-2 220
28a NE NW sec. 2-25-2 80
28b NW NE sec. 2-25-2 82
*29 NW NW sec. 11-25-2 225
29a NW NW sec. 11-25-2 97
29b NW NW sec. 11-25-2 103
*30 NE NW sec. 11-25-2 225
30a NE NW sec. 11-25-2 72
30b NW NE sec. 11-25-2 61
*31 NW NW sec. 12-25-2 197
31a NW NW sec. 12-25-2 87
31b NW NW sec. 12-25-2 62
*32 NE NW sec. 16-25-2 185
32a NE NW sec. 16-25-2 71
32b NE NW sec. 16-25-2 71
*33 NE SE sec. 1-25-2 170
33a NE SE sec. 1-25-2 54
33b SE NE sec. 1-25-2 75
*34 SW SW sec. 6-25-1 150
34a SW SW sec. 6-25-1 85
34b SW SW sec. 6-25-1 85
*35 NE NW sec. 7-25-1 130
35a NE NW sec. 7-25-1 85
35b SE SW sec. 6-25-1 86
101 NW cor. 18-23-2 75
102 NE 24-23-3 68
103 SW cor. sec. 19-23-2 72
104 NW cor. sec. 23-23-3 81
105 SE cor. sec. 18-23-2 60
106 NW cor. sec. 36-23-3 62
107 NW SW sec. 3-24-2 66
108 NW cor. sec. 11-24-3 38
109 NE cor. sec. 22-24-3 38
110 SW cor. sec. 25-24-3 37
111 SE cor. sec. 2-24-2 42
112 SE cor. sec. 25-24-2 40
113 NW cor. sec. 29-24-1 29
114 NE cor. sec. 7-25-2 32
115 NW cor. sec. 22-25-2 32
116 NW cor. sec. 17-25-1 30
117 SW cor. sec. 20-25-1 38
12 557 NW SE sec. 26-25-1 54
307 568 NW SW sec. 1-25-2 91
506 309 NW NE sec. 28-23-2 44
507 310 NW NE sec. 28-23-2 139
810 563 NE SE sec. 35-25-1 25
812 558 NW cor. sec. 27-25-1 25
815 549 NE cor. sec. 17-25-1 31
816 544 SW cor. sec. 7-25-1 31
817 411 NW cor. sec. 1-24-2 31
821 414 NW cor. sec. 6-24-2 19
824 404 SE cor. sec. 22-24-1 42
825 538 NE cor. sec. 3-25-1 25
826 540 NE cor. sec. 5-25-1 18
830 582 SW cor. sec. 30-25-2 57
832 401 NE cor. sec. 19-24-1 129
833 403 SW cor. sec. 19-24-1 57
834 583 SW cor. sec. 9-25-3 18
839 486 NE cor. sec. 35-24-2 27
840 572 NE cor. sec. 9-25-2 61
842 575 NW cor. sec. 16-25-2 15
853 445 NW cor. sec. 13-24-2 37
854 305 SW cor. sec. 23-23-2 32
870 578 NW NE NE sec. 18-25-2 19
872 327 SE cor. sec. 31-23-2 50
873 328 SE cor. sec. 31-23-2 63
874 329 SE cor. sec. 31-23-2 201
875 354 SE cor. sec. 17-23-3 13
876 355 SE cor. sec. 17-23-3 246
877 356 SE cor. sec. 17-23-3 47
873 496 SE cor. sec. 1-24-3 45
879 497 SE cor. sec. 1-24-3 241
880 502 SE cor. sec. 11-24-3 15
881 503   57
883 470 NW cor. sec. 26-24-2 38
884 471 NW cor. sec. 26-24-2 60
885 472 NW cor. sec. 26-24-2 99
886 886 NE NE NW sec. 16-24-2 57
887 887 NE NE NW sec. 16-24-2 111
888 299 NW cor. sec. 17-23-2 12
889 300 NW cor. sec. 17-23-2 151
890 511 NE SE SE sec. 21-24-3  
891 516 SE cor. sec. 31-24-3 7
892 517 SE cor. sec. 31-24-3 106
893 518 SE cor. sec. 31-24-3 163
894 462 NE cor. sec. 18-24-2 59
895 463 NE cor. sec. 18-24-2 238
1053B 353 SW NE NW sec. 16-23-3 37
1171 570 NE cor. sec. 4-25-2 20
1172 482 SW cor. sec. 27-24-2 32
1173 483 NE cor. sec. 29-24-2 26
1174 407 SW cor. sec. 32-24-1 32
1175 406 SE cor. sec. 30-24-1 32
1176 541 SW cor. sec. 5-25-1 32
1179 408 SE NW SE sec. 33-24-1 32
1186 446 SW cor. sec. 13-24-2 21
1187 402 NW cor. 19-24-1 39
1188 464 NE cor. sec. 21-24-2 21
1189 458 SW cor. sec. 16-24-2 21
1190 444 NE cor. sec. 15-24-2 60
1191 308 SW cor. sec. 27-23-2 27
1193 363 SE NE NE sec. 24-23-3 23
1194   NE SW SW sec. 14-23-3 21
1196 514 SE cor. sec. 27-24-3 19
2072   NE NW sec. 5-24-2 46
2084 447 SE cor. sec. 15-24-2 30
2088 NW cor. sec. 22-24-2  
3001 SW cor. sec. 30-23-2 47
3002 SW SE SE sec. 30-24-2 20
3003 SW SE SE sec. 32-24-2 20
3004 SE cor. sec. 1-25-3 20
3005 SE SW sec. 28-23-2 68
3030 SW NW SW sec. 11-25-2 30
3031 NE cor. sec. 24-24-3 26
3032 SW cor. sec. 24-24-2 48
3033 SW cor. sec. 2-24-2 44
3034 SW cor. sec. 28-24-3 20
3035 SE cor. sec. 34-23-3 28
3036 SE SW SE sec. 23-23-3 40
3037 NE NW NE sec. 5-24-2 70
3038 SE SW SW sec. 33-23-2 70
3039 SW SE sec. 34-23-2 37
3041 SE cor. sec. 3-25-3 17
3044 SW cor. sec. 14-25-2 20
3045 SW NW NW sec. 13-25-2 65
3050 SW cor. sec. 24-25-2 20
P27 509 NW cor. sec. 18-24-3 71
P27a 510 NW cor. sec. 18-24-3 157
P28 500 SE cor. sec. 6-24-3 61
P28a 501 SE cor. sec. 6-24-3 97
P29 369 SW SE sec. 32-23-3 42
P29a 370 SW SE sec. 32-23-3 100
P30 367 NE cor. sec. 32-23-3 88
P30a 368 NE cor. sec. 32-23-3 128
P31 360 SW cor. sec. 21-23-3 40
P31a 361 SW cor. sec. 21-23-3 66
P32 347 SE cor. sec. 8-23-3 35
P32a 348 SE cor. sec. 8-23-3 86
P34 344 NW cor. sec. 4-23-3 79
P34a 345 NW cor. sec. 4-23-3 127
P35 507 SW cor. sec. 17-24-3 62
P35a 508 SW cor. sec. 17-24-3 136
*Wichita supply well.
‡Constructed since well tabulation in Bulletin 79.

Summary of Geology*

[Note: This report is a cooperative product of the U. S. Geological Survey and the State Geological Survey of Kansas. The classification and nomenclature of the rock units accord for the most part with those of the two surveys, but it differs somewhat from that of the U. S. Geological Survey.]

The geology of the Equus beds area has been described by Haworth and Beede (1897), Lohman and Frye (1940), Williams and Lohman (1949), and Frye and Leonard (1952). Adjoining areas in which the geology has been described include the vicinity of Hutchinson (Williams, 1946), Rice County (Fent, 1950), and Reno County (Bayne, report in preparation). The reader is referred to the published reports for further discussion of the geology. A generalized geologic map of the Equus beds area is shown in Figure 2.

The bedrock underlying the Equus beds area comprises the Wellington formation and Ninnescah shale, of Permian age, and the Kiowa shale of Cretaceous age. The part of the Wellington formation that crops out in this area consists dominantly of soft calcareous gray and bluish-gray shale containing several thin beds of argillaceous limestone and gypsum (Williams and Lohman, 1949, p. 40). Some beds of maroon and green shale occur near the top of the formation. Salt is not exposed in this area, but it is known to underlie the western part. The Wellington formation yields small quantities of water to wells in the area southeast of Lindsborg, near Newton, and east and northeast of Wichita. No large supplies of water are available from the Wellington formation, owing to the physical character of the rocks comprising it.

In the northwestern part of the Equus beds area the Wellington formation is overlain by the Ninnescah shale. The Ninnescah shale is a soft to hard brick-red shale (Williams and Lohman, 1949, p. 43). It has a maximum thickness of about 275 feet and contains some thin beds of gray and green shale, thin argillaceous limestone, and gypsum. The Ninnescah shale yields meager supplies of strongly mineralized water to farm wells.

In the northeastern part of the Equus beds area the Wellington formation and Ninnescah shale are overlain by Kiowa shale. The Kiowa shale has a maximum thickness of about 120 feet and consists of dark-gray to black gypsiferous shale, gray to buff sandy shale, soft crossbedded sandstone, and thin fossiliferous limestones. The Kiowa shale yields small supplies of hard water to domestic and stock wells and to small springs.

During early Pleistocene time, a stream flowing from a point near Lindsborg southward past McPherson and Wichita incised a wide, deep valley in the Cretaceous and Permian rocks and in the Pliocene Ogallala formation (Frye and Leonard, 1952, p. 94). This valley was referred to as the McPherson Valley by Williams and Lohman (1949, p. 59). The McPherson Valley was joined at a point southwest of the Wichita well field by a large tributary valley, which paralleled the present Arkansas River. The McPherson Valley was filled during Pleistocene time with gravel, sand, silt, clay, and some volcanic ash. These deposits are a part of the Pleistocene Blanco, Meade, and Sanborn formations (Fig. 5).

The Ogallala formation (called the Delmore formation by Williams and Lohman, 1949, p. 40, pl. 1) crops out in a small area in the northeastern part of the Equus beds area. The material comprising the Ogallala formation is fine grained and poorly sorted compared with other unconsolidated deposits in this area, and only comparatively small quantities of moderately hard water are available from the formation.

Although not shown in Figure 5, some of the coarse gravel and sand overlying the Permian Wellington formation in the deeper channels probably represents the Blanco formation. The Blanco formation, if present, is overlain by the Meade formation (Frye and Leonard, 1952, p. 99), which consists of two members-the Grand Island member, which overlies the Blanco formation, and the Sappa member, which overlies the Grand Island member in part of the area. The Grand Island member is composed of gravel, sand, silt, and clay and yields most of the ground water obtained from the Equus beds area. The Sappa member is composed chiefly of silt and clay, and in the northern part of the well field the Sappa member confines the ground water in the underlying Grand Island member. The approximate boundary of the Sappa member in the well field is shown in Figure 6. The Sappa member yields no water to wells.

Figure 5--Cross section K-K' in north part of well field.

Cross section K-K' in north part of well field.

Figure 6--Map of well field showing area underlain by Sappa member of Meade formation.

Map of well field showing area underlain by Sappa member of Meade formation.

The Meade formation is overlain in much of the area by the Sanborn formation. The Sanborn formation has the Crete sand and gravel member at the base and Peoria silt member at the top. The Crete sand and gravel member yields moderate supplies of water to wells, and in the northern part of the Wichita well field the water body in the Sanborn formation is semiperched above the Sappa member of the Meade formation.

Recent alluvium and Wisconsinan deposits occur in the Arkansas River valley and in the Little Arkansas River valley. In the Arkansas River valley the deposits are composed of unconsolidated gravel, sand, and silt and have a high permeability. The deposits in the Little Arkansas River valley are composed of silt, clay, sand, and gravel. In general, these deposits are thin and have a low to medium permeability.

Sand dunes, probably Wisconsinan and Recent in age, extend over a wide belt northwestward from Little Arkansas River northeast of Burrton. These sand dunes are in the northwest part of the well field and form the only prominent topographic relief in this part of the Equus beds area (Williams and Lohman, 1949, p. 70). The sand dunes have a high permeability, and they absorb large amounts of precipitation. No large supplies of ground water have been developed in the area underlain by sand dunes, but they unquestionably help to recharge the deposits below.


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Kansas Geological Survey
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