Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer
Aquifer Information
The High Plains aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles of the central United States east of the Rocky Mountains in the southern part of the Great Plains. The aquifer underlies portions of eight states, which are South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. The High Plains aquifer is the shallowest and most abundant source of water in the region, which leads the economy of the area to depend upon it for irrigated agriculture.
The Ogallala formation is the principal geologic unit in the High Plains aquifer, and it accounts for approximately 134,000 square miles of the High Plains aquifer. Groundwater flow is generally from west to east, at an average rate of approximately 1 foot per day, and discharges naturally to streams and springs, and directly through atmospheric evapotranspiration. Estimated recharge rates vary from 0.024 inches per year in part of Texas to 6 inches per year in south-central Kansas.
The irrigation economy of the Ogallala-High Plains region has became a growing concern in select areas (notably Texas and Kansas) due to decreased well yields and increases in the costs of lifting water for irrigation. This concern has sparked an interest for research and more education in Kansas.