Hydrogeologic Framework and Conceptual Groundwater-Flow Model of the Panhandle and Northwest Parts of the High Plains (Ogallala) Aquifer in Oklahoma, 1998–2022
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- Document: Report (17.3 MB pdf) , HTML , XML
- Data Release: USGS Data Release - Soil-Water-Balance model and data used in the hydrogeologic framework and conceptual groundwater-flow model of the panhandle and northwest parts of the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer in Oklahoma, 1998–2022
- NGMDB Index Page: National Geologic Map Database Index Page (html)
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Abstract
This study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, to update the hydrogeologic framework and conceptual flow model for the panhandle and northwest parts of the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer in Oklahoma, which together compose the Ogallala aquifer focus area. The study included the construction of a potentiometric surface, and available geologic and hydrologic data were used to evaluate saturated thickness of the aquifer. The water budget for the updated conceptual groundwater-flow model was based on estimated inflows and outflows for the 1998–2022 study period.
Saturated thickness of the Ogallala aquifer averaged 127 and 116 feet for the panhandle and northwest parts, respectively. Groundwater withdrawals from the Ogallala aquifer for 1998–2022 averaged 422,054 and 39,645 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr) for the panhandle and northwest parts, respectively. Recharge, the primary inflow, was estimated at 0.63 inch per year for the 1998–2022 study period, with the panhandle part of the Ogallala aquifer receiving 175,068 acre-ft/yr and the northwest part of the Ogallala aquifer receiving 49,376 acre-ft/yr. Additional inflows included irrigation return flows, estimated at 8,111 and 642 acre-ft/yr for the panhandle and northwest parts, respectively, of the Ogallala aquifer. Net lateral groundwater flows, considered to be aquifer outflows, were estimated to account for 31,908 acre-ft/yr for the Ogallala aquifer focus area. Streambed seepage, which was an outflow of 5,535 acre-ft/yr, was only present in the northwest part of the Ogallala aquifer. Vertical leakage and saturated-zone evapotranspiration were considered negligible outflows. These findings provide a revised conceptual groundwater-flow model water budget for the Ogallala aquifer focus area in Oklahoma.
Suggested Citation
Morris, A.S., Baciocco, C.A., Dale, I.A., Codner, C., Kirby, E.A., Graves, G.M., Wagner, D.L., Fiorentino, E.G., LePera, A., Sanford, J.E., and Joy, L., 2026, Hydrogeologic framework and conceptual groundwater-flow model of the panhandle and northwest parts of the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer in Oklahoma, 1998–2022: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2026–5009, 59 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20265009.
ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)
Study Area
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Purpose and Scope
- Description of the Ogallala Aquifer Focus Area
- Hydrogeology of the Ogallala Aquifer Focus Area
- Hydrogeologic Framework of the Ogallala Aquifer Focus Area
- Conceptual Groundwater-Flow Model
- Summary
- References Cited
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Hydrogeologic framework and conceptual groundwater-flow model of the panhandle and northwest parts of the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer in Oklahoma, 1998–2022 |
| Series title | Scientific Investigations Report |
| Series number | 2026-5009 |
| DOI | 10.3133/sir20265009 |
| Publication Date | May 11, 2026 |
| Year Published | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center |
| Description | Report: x, 59 p.; Data Release |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas |
| Online Only (Y/N) | Y |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |