77-1 Groundwater Science in Action: How the Kansas Geological Survey Informs Resource Management

Session: Groundwater and Sustainability: Integrating Science, Technology, and Policy

Presenting Author:

Scott Ishman

Authors:

Ishman, Scott E.¹, Wilson, Brownie², Bohling, Geoff³, Liu, Gaisheng⁴, Zipper, Samuel C.⁵, Seybold, Erin⁶, Longyang, Qianqiu⁷, Saha, Arghajeet⁸, Butler, Jim⁹

Abstract:

Groundwater is essential to the economy and vitality of western Kansas, supplying up to 100% of usable fresh water in some areas. Between 2015 and 2024, over 2.9 million acre-feet were extracted from the Kansas High Plains Aquifer (HPA) region on average, with approximately 2.7 million acre-feet used for irrigation—supporting agriculture, a key economic driver in the state. Intensive irrigation pumping, which began in the 1940s and 1950s, has led to significant depletion of the aquifer, with some regions experiencing a loss of more than 60% in aquifer thickness.  Continuing current irrigation practices in many areas of western Kansas will not be sustainable in the long term due to declining water resources. The key question is what can be done to change the narrative.

State agencies, groundwater management districts, producers, nonprofits, and other stakeholders look to the Kansas Geological Survey for assessments of current conditions and evaluations of what the future holds for the HPA. We provide both data and analysis to address this need. In terms of data, we maintain or help maintain groundwater databases including those for water well completion records (WWC5), annual groundwater level monitoring data (WIZARD), annual water use data tied to water rights (WIMAS), and records from a network of 39 continuously monitored index wells. In terms of analysis, our most important recent contribution was the development of an approach for estimation of the pumping reductions required to stabilize water levels in the HPA for the near future (Q-stable), which is now being used across western Kansas. We have also been active in developing groundwater models for most of the management districts overlying the HPA and data-based approaches for assessing the impact of groundwater conservation activities.  New initiatives include 3-D subsurface characterization using Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) surveys, solar energy system integration, groundwater quality monitoring, as well as remote sensing. These activities provide a strong science-based foundation for decision makers at local, regional, and state levels to support their efforts to address the groundwater challenges that are confronting the state.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-7532

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