8 March 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – It is no secret that we have been battling a persistent drought across the state over the last few years. Has the influx of moisture we have gained so far this year helped our groundwater levels?
Significant improvements to our drought have been made over the last year here in Kansas. The drought monitor shows soil moisture, but it does not define the state of our groundwater levels.
“The problem was this was a drought that had been ongoing. So many farmers’ backs were completely against the wall. If you didn’t have any option of irrigation, you were just on dry land. You had no voice at all. You just missed out on the crop,” said KSN Agriculture Analyst John Jenkinson.
Many farmers in western Kansas saw failed wheat crops because of the lack of rain in early 2023. While some were able to pull from the Ogallala aquifer, irrigating with well water is costly, and water drained from the aquifer is capped.
“During the drought, many farmers were really pushed to the brink because you’re only allotted so many acre feet per well,” said Jenkinson.
The Ogallala is one of the largest aquifers in the world, and its levels are low. It has also taken a hit from the drought.
Most wells in western Kansas pull water directly from the aquifer, which cannot be refilled and restored easily.
“When we’re talking about recharge when it rains. You’ve got to get through the soil first, and you got to go through the unsaturated zone,” said Dr. Andrew Swindle, an associate professor at Wichita State University. “So when it rains, if it rains a little bit, it’s just going to soak into the ground, and it’s going to be dispersed in the soil.”
Even if we see a great deal of rainfall over the next several years, the Ogallala will not refill quickly.
“I’ve seen estimates that if we stopped using the aquifer, the Ogallala aquifer now, it would take somewhere in the neighborhood of 6,000 to 10,000 years to recharge,” said Dr. Swindle.
This aquifer is roughly 100-300 feet below the surface. The Equus Beds aquifer in central Kansas is closer to the surface and smaller. This provides a different opportunity for recharging options.
“The Equus Beds is actually in really good shape, especially considering the drought,” said Don Henry, Assistant Director of Public Works and Utilities for the City of Wichita.
Wichita has been recharging the Equus Beds aquifer from the Arkansas River to help keep levels stable.
“We estimate the Equus Beds are more than 90% full right now,” said Henry. “The collaborative efforts of the Equus Beds and the city’s integrated local water supply plan has gone a long way in maintaining a health, sustainable aquifer in the Equus Beds.”
This is all part of Wichita’s drought response plan.
“The city has two primary sources of water, the Equus Beds aquifer and the Cheney Lake Reservoir, and that’s about a 50/50 split,” said Henry.
This helps keep the city’s water supply drought-resilient. Right now, the drought monitor is in the best shape it has been in for years.
“This year, it actually looks like we are going to have a wheat crop,” said Jenkinson.
Kansas farmers are cautiously optimistic about this year’s crops. Any bit of moisture helps to preserve the aquifer and help their crops.
The biggest difference we can all make to preserve our aquifers is to cut back on irrigating our lawns this spring.
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