Geohydrology and model analysis for water-supply management in a small area of west-central Kansas
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Abstract
The Ogallala Formation in the intensive-study area, an area of 12 square miles in northeastern Wichita County, west-central Kansas, has had a substantial decrease in saturated thickness since the development of irrigation. The annual water-level decline during 1950-78 ranged from 1.08 to 2.22 feet per year.
The hydrologic system was investigated to study methods of conserving the remaining ground water in the intensive-study area. During 1977-78, the average annual ground-water withdrawal was 7,400 acre-feet, and the water-level decline ranged from 0.91 to 5.05 feet. The saturated thickness in 1977 ranged from about 40 to 80 feet, and aquifer storage was about 61,000 acre-feet. Natural recharge is estimated to be 0.28 inch per year.
Projections from a digital ground-water flow model were used to indicate the additional water-level decline that might occur from 1978 to 1988 if pumpages in the 480-square-mile model area were one-half, equal to, or double the 1977 pumpage rate. The additional water-level declines in the intensive-study area would range from 5 to 15 feet if pumpages were one-half, 15 to 30 feet if pumpages were equal to, and 25 to 40 feet if pumpages were double the 1977 rate. Projections also were used to indicate the water-level declines if pumpages in the model area were equal to the 1977 rate and if pumpages in the intensive-study area were one-half or double the 1977 rate. Additional water-level declines in the intensive-study area would range from 10 to 20 feet if pumpages were one-half and from 20 to 25 feet if pumpages were doubled. Decreased pumpage in the area could reduce the water-level declines, but continued pumpage in adjacent areas would cause declines to be greater near the edge than near the center.
The digital model was more sensitive to changes in pumpage than to changes in hydraulic conductivity, specific yield, and recharge.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Geohydrology and model analysis for water-supply management in a small area of west-central Kansas |
| Series title | Water-Resources Investigations Report |
| Series number | 80-91 |
| DOI | 10.3133/wri8091 |
| Year Published | 1980 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Contributing office(s) | Kansas Water Science Center |
| Description | 59 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
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