Ozark Plateau Aquifers
Issues:
- Uncertainty about the quantity of water available for use
- Water quality issues due to mine contamination in the Springfield aquifer, as well as the potential salt water contamination to the Ozark aquifer
Goal:
- Manage the Ozark Plateau aquifer system and surface water sources in southeast Kansas for long-term sustainability, to meet current and long-term growth demands, provide good quality water, and meet minimum desirable streamflow
Current Activities:
- Kansas is monitoring the aquifers for short and long-term changes to water levels and water quality using existing and newly installed monitoring wells
- Develop a regional groundwater flow model of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma to simulate effects of the impacts of additional groundwater development on water quantity and quality in Kansas and on the baseflow contribution of the Spring River and Shoal Creek
- Moratorium on new appropriations of groundwater in the Ozark Plateau aquifer except for wells used for domestic, temporary, small exemption or term permits until a study is completed to determine recharge
- The Tri-State Water Resource Coalition contracted with Kansas Geological Survey to evaluate the effects of pumping on water quality in single and dual-aquifer wells in the transition zone of Kansas and Missouri. This grand-funded study will identify potential future water demands and how they might be addressed
Groundwater Flow Model:
- For more information on modeling efforts in this region, visit the United States Geological Survey Ozark Aquifer Information page
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.
Due to the uncertainty about the available water supply in the Ozark aquifer, as well as the water quality concerns, in 2004 the Kansas Department of Agriculture-Division of Water Resources established a moratorium on new appropriations from the aquifer in Kansas. The moratorium region, as well as the salt water transitional zone of concern, is shown on the map below.
