Kansas Geological Survey reports slower water-level declines, expands 3‑D mapping and water‑quality monitoring
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Summary
The Kansas Geological Survey briefed the Committee on Water on preliminary 2026 winter water‑level measurements showing reduced declines and localized recharge, the AQUA water‑quality program (~300 wells sampled), a statewide airborne electromagnetic mapping program, a 5‑year Dakota Aquifer study and sediment‑provenance work to target reservoir management.
Jay Cabas of the Kansas Geological Survey told the Committee on Water that KGS’s winter 2026 water‑level campaign measured about 1,400–1,500 wells statewide in cooperation with the Division of Water Resources, with teams uploading data in near real time. Preliminary results show smaller average declines than last year and some recharge in Central Kansas (GMD 5) after favorable summer precipitation; western GMDs (GMDs 4, 1 and 3) remain in decline and have low natural recharge rates.
Cabas described measurement methods (steel tape measurements, index wells) and explained why some wells are temporarily unmeasurable (active irrigation or access problems) and are revisited in February–March. He said the program uses about 37 index wells to capture high‑frequency drawdown dynamics while the statewide winter campaign measures static levels to produce a consistent baseline for long‑term models.
On water quality, KGS described the AQUA statewide water‑quality assessment launched in 2024 in partnership with Kansas State University, the Kansas Water Institute, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Farm Bureau (a program sponsor). KGS has sampled just under 300 wells to date and aims for biannual sampling at thousands of locations over time; the survey emphasizes careful sampling, laboratory analysis for analytes including arsenic, uranium and PFAS, and a public data explorer (kgs.ku.edu) that can anonymize point data to protect landowner privacy.
Cabas also summarized the statewide airborne electromagnetic (AEM) acquisition program that will complete geophysical mapping of large portions of the High Plains Aquifer in three dimensions. He said AEM resistivity images combined with high‑quality well logs yield higher‑resolution lithology maps and reveal rugosity in the base of the Ogallala/High Plains aquifer and channel structures that materially change volumetric and flow models. KGS coordinated acquisition with a contractor (AGF) in Nebraska to reduce mobilization costs and expects to finish acquisition across targeted GMDs this year.
On the Dakota Aquifer, Cabas called it a complex, regionally variable auxiliary resource that in places supplies a meaningful share of freshwater; KGS is conducting a five‑year, federally supported study (about $500,000 per year from USGS) to drill calibration cores and map the Dakota’s distribution, salinity patterns and recharge behavior. Finally, KGS discussed reservoir sedimentation work including time‑lapse projections of Tuttle Creek infill, and geochemical tracer techniques (cesium and other markers) to identify sediment provenance, which KGS said can be used to tailor watershed‑scale interventions or in‑lake dredging strategies.
Committee members asked technical questions about log quality and access to oil and gas records; Cabas said KGS maintains extensive oil and gas well logs and driller logs, but water‑well log quality varies and ongoing training and data curation are needed. He said KGS will continue to make datasets available for numerical modeling and decision support and emphasized that while the Dakota is an important component, it is not a statewide substitute for High Plains resources.
