Groundwater supply looks different across Kansas, a critical source during the drought

GARDEN CITY, Kan. (KSNW) — A lack of rain across the state means more reliance on groundwater.

That resource is now critical for farms and homes across Kansas.

Experts say the amount of groundwater is completely different depending on where you are in Kansas.

Some advancements have made irrigation more efficient.

Mark Rude, the Executive Director of Groundwater Management District 3 in southwest Kansas, says less water from the sky means taking more from the ground, especially in western Kansas, where they rely heavily on groundwater.

He says annual declines can be upwards of five feet in some areas

“As you pump that down, you have less saturated thickness, and the well yields go down, and then in a extreme drought, you just pump harder, and you have greater effects on that draw down on the aquifer,” Rude says.

But he says there is a bright side to being more reliant on irrigation.

“When you have a drier climate, then you have less disease, less surface water runoff and potential pollution.”

He also says people today can do more with the water available.

“But as technology comes along and efficiency improvements occur, good news is it takes less water to do the same production agriculture,” Rude said.

For the future, he says some places have 100 years of water left while others are dry.

“It certainly puts the pressure for mitigating drought conditions and groundwater level declines,” Rude said.

In Sedgwick County, Monty Munyon, a domestic well specialist, says the groundwater supply is in good shape for the time being.

“We don’t have any reports of any wells running dry,” Munyon said.

He says if the county doesn’t get rain in the next few months, that could change.

Rude also says people in western Kansas have been drilling their wells deeper, and farmers have been replacing their wells to find more water. He says it has created a huge backlog for drilling companies.