Kansas Geological Survey, Open-file Report 2019-2
KGS Open-file Report 2019-2
Wetland Program Development Grant (WPDG) FFY 2014-17
Prepared in fulfillment of Kansas Water Office Contract CD-97746601, KUCR # KAN0073725
Cover image: Aerial view north of the Ehmke playa (Lane County, Kansas) during a rainy period in August, 2016. (W. Johnson)
Playas of the High Plains provide many functions, including providing wildlife habitat and maintaining regional biodiversity. Playa lakes have been promoted as potential point sources of recharge to the High Plains Aquifer. A "Vision for the Future of Water in Kansas" is under development, and one of the two main focus areas is conserving and extending the life of the Ogallala aquifer, which is contained within the High Plains aquifer. This project seeks to determine the degree to which functioning Playas contribute to recharge of the aquifer, which in turn extends its useful life by providing additional water input. If recharge can be demonstrated and measured in Kansas conditions, renovation and protection of Playa lakes could be enhanced by state policy and programs. This investigation addresses two activities in the WPP: (1) Support Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) efforts to assess historic impacts to playas and determine their current condition. (p.5, KS WPP); and (2) support PLJV efforts to promote ecosystem services provided by playas, especially aquifer recharge. (p.5, KS WPP).
While extensive recharge studies have been associated with the Playas of the Southern Great Plains (Texas), no known studies have been conducted in the Central Great Plains (Kansas), where the soils and substrate differ significantly from that to the south. Investigations that have been undertaken in the Southern Great Plains have tended to be of singular design i.e., based exclusively on water-budget calculations, infiltration data, or unsaturated-zone techniques. In contrast, this investigation will adopt a multifaceted approach by a team with diverse and complementary expertise.
This multifaceted approach to assessing the role of Playa recharge contribution to the High Plains Aquifer will provide direct and indirect data to answer this question, which when combined with a knowledge of the impact of Playa basin sedimentation, will greatly enhance our understanding and importance of Playa function within the central Great Plains and beyond.
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Kansas Geological Survey, Geohydrology
Placed online May 15, 2019
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