Ozark Plateau Aquifers
The Ozark Plateau Aquifers are an important source of water for the region of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, northeastern Oklahoma and a small portion of northwest Arkansas. It consists of two aquifers that have a discontinuous confining layer. The upper aquifer is the Springfield Plateau aquifer and the lower is the Ozark aquifer.
The Springfield Plateau aquifer contains fresh water in southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma, where it is shallow and can produce water sufficient for domestic purposes. Water quality of the Springfield Plateau aquifer in Kansas is poor and may be unfit for domestic use because of significant mining of lead and ore in the Tri-State Mining District. Mining shafts have allowed contaminated water to move from the surface into the deeper Ozark aquifer.
The Ozark aquifer contains usable water in southeast Kansas and is the source for most of the groundwater supplied to area municipalities and rural water districts. At the bottom of the Ozark aquifer is a brine layer (salt water) that is moving west to east across Kansas. Some also are concerned that significant groundwater pumping in areas could potentially cause upwelling of brines within the aquifer that decrease the water quality.
