Kansas Geological Survey, Public Information Circular (PIC) 18
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Kansas Geological Survey, Public Information Circular (PIC) 18
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Next Page--Managing Water
Perhaps the most common and important question about the High Plains aquifer is: How much longer can it support large-scale pumping? It's a simple question with a complicated answer. First, the aquifer will probably be able to support small, domestic wells far into the future. With proper planning, most cities and towns should be able to provide for their water needs. Second, the future of agricultural use of the aquifer depends on a variety of factors, including the price of irrigated crops, the price and availability of energy (the deeper the water table, the more energy it takes to pump water), climate, and how the water is managed. Third, it is important to remember that the aquifer is not one consistent, homogeneous unit. Rather, it varies considerably from place to place. In places, the aquifer consists of less than 50 feet of saturated thickness and receives little recharge. In other places, the aquifer is far thicker or receives considerably more recharge.
With those qualifications in mind, researchers at the Kansas Geological Survey have made projections about the aquifer, based on past trends in water-level declines. Obviously, the actual future use of water will be affected by commodity prices, energy prices, climate, and management policies. In addition, relatively little data are available for some parts of the aquifer, and projections are not practical in those areas. Assuming a saturated thickness of 30 feet as the minimum amount necessary to support large-scale pumping, researchers concluded that parts of the aquifer are effectively exhausted in Greeley, Wichita, and Scott counties (fig. 7). Other parts of the aquifer, in areas such as southwestern Thomas County, are predicted to have a lifespan of less than 25 years, based on past decline trends. However, the biggest share of the aquifer would not be depleted for 50 to 200 years. It is important to remember that these projections are based on past trends, and future changes could alter the actual depletion rate.
Figure 7--Estimated usable lifetime (1988-1998) trend for the High Plains aquifer in Kansas.
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Kansas Geological Survey, Public Outreach
1930 Constant Ave., Lawrence, KS 66047-3726
Phone: (785) 864-3965, Fax: (785) 864-5317
bsawin@kgs.ku.edu
Web version October 2001
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic18/pic18_4.html