Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1995
Fact Sheet
068-97
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Abstract
The High Plains aquifer underlies one of the major agricultural areas in the world, including parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Ground-water irrigation expanded rapidly after 1940 in the area underlain by the High Plains aquifer (called the 'High Plains region' in this report): 1949--2.1 million acres; 1959--6.1 million acres; 1969--9.0 million acres; 1978--12.9 million acres; and 1980--13.7 million acres (Gutentag and others, 1984; Thelin and Heimes, 1987). In 1990, 95 percent of the water withdrawn from the High Plains aquifer, 15.7 million acre-feet, was used for irrigation (Marilee Horn, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1996).
Water-level declines appeared in the High Plains aquifer soon after extensive ground-water irrigation development began. By 1980, water levels in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas had declined more than 100 feet. In response to these declines, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with numerous Federal, State, and local water-resource agencies, began a ground-water monitoring program in 1988 to assess water-level change in the aquifer annually, using water-level measurements in more than 7,000 wells. The water-level measurements are made in winter or early spring, when water levels generally represent nonpumping conditions.
Suggested Citation
McGuire, V.L., Sharpe, J.B., 1997, Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1995: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 068-97, 4 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs06897.
ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1995 |
| Series title | Fact Sheet |
| Series number | 068-97 |
| DOI | 10.3133/fs06897 |
| Year Published | 1997 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Contributing office(s) | Nebraska Water Science Center |
| Description | 4 p. |
| Time Range Start | 1980-01-01 |
| Time Range End | 1995-12-31 |