The High Plains aquifer components in Kansas are made up of the Ogallala, Great Bend Prairie, and Equus Beds regions as shown on the map below. The High Plains aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles of the central United States. It falls east of the Rocky Mountains in the southern part of the Great Plains.
How many aquifers are in Kansas?
seven principal
Kansas has seven principal groundwater aquifer systems. Alluvial aquifers are unconfined and associated with streams and rivers. The Kansas River Alluvial Aquifer is an important source of water for cities and irrigation along the border of the glaciated area and the Flint Hills.
How deep is the Kansas aquifer?
Its deepest part is 1200 ft. (300 m) and is generally greater in the Northern Plains. The depth of the water below the surface of the land ranges from almost 400 feet (120 m) in parts of the north to between 100 and 200 feet (30 and 61 m) throughout much of the south.
Does Kansas have a water problem?
Estimates show that if pumping trends continue, more than two-thirds of the water under Kansas will be gone within 40 years. In some parts of western Kansas, the aquifer has already depleted so much that it’s basically unusable for irrigation. This map shows the drought conditions covering Kansas as of March 31, 2022.
How deep is the average well in Kansas?
Depth to water varies from less than 25 to 50 feet in the Equus Beds, to over 350 feet in Haskell County, based on meas- urements from 2010 to 2012. Southwest Kansas has the greatest saturated thickness with over 300 feet still occur- ring in Seward and Stevens counties.
How long until the Ogallala Aquifer runs out?
The Ogallala Aquifer, which has been sustaining the Great Plains’ agriculture since the end of the Dust Bowl, has run out of half its resources already. When it runs out, it will take 6,000 years for it to be replenished.
Where is the largest aquifer in the US?
The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States and is a major aquifer of Texas underlying much of the High Plains region. The aquifer consists of sand, gravel, clay, and silt and has a maximum thickness of 800 feet. Freshwater saturated thickness averages 95 feet.
How long does it take for an aquifer to replenish?
If the aquifer goes dry, more than $20 billion worth of food and fiber will vanish from the world’s markets. And scientists say it will take natural processes 6,000 years to refill the reservoir.
Are aquifers drying up?
Most of the planet’s arid-region aquifers are in decline. As Earth warms and droughts intensify, these pressures will only increase. When groundwater runs out, myths of growth and profit collapse into dust. Drying aquifers can result in starvation, migration, and violence.
Where is the largest aquifer in the world?
Australia
The world’s largest aquifer is the Great Artesian Basin in Australia. It covers 1.7 million square kilometres, equivalent to about a quarter of the entire country and 7 times the area of the UK. The Great Artesian Basin is also the deepest aquifer in the world.
Can aquifers run out of water?
NASA Data Reveals Most Major Aquifers Depleting Faster Than They Recharge. Researchers have been warning about future water scarcity for decades, but new data reveals a majority of the world’s largest aquifers are already running out of water.
Where does Kansas get their water from?
KC Water obtains its raw water for the primary system from a combination of surface and ground water sources. Surface water comes from the Missouri River and accounts for approximately 80% of the raw water.
How deep is the Ogallala Aquifer?
The saturated thickness of the Ogallala aquifer in the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District ranges from 10 to over 460 feet with an estimated District average of 180 feet. The depth from land surface to the base of the aquifer can range from the land surface to as much as 1000 feet below surface.
How much does it cost to drill a water well in Kansas?
Well Drilling Costs By State
| State | Average Cost Per Foot |
|---|---|
| Kansas | $28 – $61 |
| Kentucky | $27 – $59 |
| Louisiana | $28 – $61 |
| Maine | $27 – $58 |
How much does it cost to drill an oil well in Kansas?
Those in exploration aren’t doing so well because it costs $400,000 to $600,000 to drill a vertical well. But those who own a lot of producing wells are still making a profit. He estimates that the average cost to bring a barrel of oil out of an existing well in Kansas as $20 to $30 per barrel.
Is there oil drilling in Kansas?
The petroleum industry is a major contributor to the economy of Kansas. Hundreds of thousands of oil and natural gas wells drilled in the state since the late 19th century have produced more than 6.7 billion barrels of oil and 41.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas through 2018.
Can aquifers be replenished?
Aquifers can be replenished artificially. For example, large volumes of ground water used for air conditioning are returned to aquifers through recharge wells on Long Island, New York.
How much of the Ogallala is left?
How much water is left? That brings us to the latest PNAS study, led by David Steward of Kansas State University. Researchers found that 30 percent of the Kansas portion of the Ogallala Aquifer has already been pumped out, and another 39 percent will get used up in the next half-century at existing rates.
What is the largest groundwater deposit in the world called?
The largest groundwater deposit in the world is the: Ogallala Aquifer.
What state has the most underground water?
Groundwater use is highest in parts of the country with limited rainfall but high water needs, especially for irrigation.
Which areas in the United States are most dependent on groundwater?
| Mississippi | 84% |
|---|---|
| California | 67% |
| Hawaii | 63% |
| Nebraska | 59% |
| Florida | 63% |
What state has the best ground water?
Which State Has The Most Ground Water? of water is Alaska, which has 94,743 square miles of water beneath its surface. There are approximately 12,000 rivers running through Alaska, 3 million lakes that reach 6 acres, and numerous creeks and ponds around it.