GROUNDWATER MONITORING IN KANSAS

Each year, roughly 90% of the water used in Kansas originates from groundwater. The High Plains aquifer (HPA), located in west and south-central portions of Kansas, and larger alluvial systems found in eastern Kansas are primary sources of supply and a focus of monitoring. Each winter, the Kansas Geological Survey and the KS Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources manually measure water levels from a network of approximately 1,400 wells across the HPA. The majority of measurements are from irrigation wells using steel or electric tapes, which have precisions down to a hundredth of a foot. Customized software developed by the KGS combined with global positioning systems are used to ensure the same wells are measured each year and to conduct on-site data validations of depth-to-water measurements. The KGS further identifies 7% of the wells, randomly selected each year, to be re-measured by a second person within 24 hours of the initial visit. Referred to as “QA” wells, these extra measurements serve to provide quality assurance of the collected data. Additional statistical and GIS reviews are conducted later, on the entire data set to identify abnormal or anomalous measurements. If necessary, well sites are re-measured the same day or within a month, depending on the circumstances. Provisional results are available to the public within a matter of weeks through KGS-housed websites. In addition, the KGS oversees a network of continuously monitored observation wells, referred to as Index Wells, which record hourly water levels throughout the year in addition to being measured manually at least quarterly. The majority of index wells are equipped with telemetry units that provide real-time data access. Information is further sublimated with additional measurements from other state and local agencies that allows the KGS to publish maps and online data layers of the aquifer’s vitality, track changes in water levels, and measure the responses to management programs. The KGS is an active participant with U.S. Geological Survey’s National Groundwater Monitoring Network program and plans to expand it’s data services to include data collected through the reestablishment and expansion of the State’s ambient groundwater quality program, last operated in the early 2000s.