Geohydrology and Model Analysis for Water-Supply Management in a Small Area of West-Central Kansas

摘要

The saturated thickness of the Ogallala aquifer in an intensive-study area has decreased substantially since the development of irrigation. Water levels have declined 1.08 to 2.22 feet per year during 1950-78. During 1977-78, irrigation wells pumped 7,400 acre-feet per year, and water-level declines ranged from 0.91 to 5.05 feet. A ground-water flow model was used to predict the changes from 1978 to 1988 in the intensive-study area if pumpage in the model area was one-half, equal to, or double the 1977 rate. If pumpage in the intensive-study area is changed to one-half or double the 1977 rate, water-level declines would range from 10 to 20 feet or 20 to 25 feet, respectively.