Kansas Geological Survey presents new Ogallala data, airborne geophysics and statewide water‑quality plan to House Water Committee

Jay Cabas, director of the Kansas Geological Survey, told the House Committee on Water on Feb. 28 that KGS’ newest data show continued declines in the High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer and that new tools will help local areas plan to stabilize water levels.

The committee heard that KGS’ latest statewide water‑level campaign and a first‑in‑Kansas airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey give much denser subsurface data than previously available and will be used with models to inform localized water‑use targets.

Cabas said the KGS map “shows the percent change in the thickness the water thickness of the High Plains aquifer since the development of large scale irrigated agriculture,” and called the product “arguably the most impactful scientific product in the history of our state.” He described a QSTABLE plot that links average annual water use to average annual water‑level change and said that, for many places, stability is achievable with a modest percentage reduction in water use: “In this case, for this area, it’s a 17.5 percent decrease in the amount of water that we have to use.”

KGS reported rapid field operations and newly available data. The agency said its annual water‑level campaign measures roughly 1,400 wells over the program (KGS crews measured 616 wells in the recent campaign in about six days), with an average measured well depth of about 162 feet and a deepest measured well of…