Kansas Geological Survey, Public Information Circular (PIC) 10
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Kansas Geological Survey, Public Information Circular (PIC) 10
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Next Page--Glossary, References
When drilling a well in the Dakota, probably the most important source of information is the local water-well driller. Many drillers have a great deal of experience and are extremely familiar with the local geology. They are familiar with the uses and limitations of driller's logs; some water-well drillers also interpret geophysical logs. For a list of licensed water-well drillers in a specific area, contact the Kansas Groundwater Association, the professional association for water-well contractors.
For water users that require larger amounts of water, such as municipalities or rural water districts, or even for some individual landowners, local ground-water consultants may also be helpful. The Kansas Groundwater Association and the Kansas Geological Society can also offer information about geologic consultants who have expertise on subsurface geology of a given area.
Another important source of information are the state's groundwater management districts. These are local units of government created to provide education and regulation of ground-water use. Five ground-water management districts have been created in the state. Only one, the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #3, headquartered in Garden City, is located in an area where a significant number of wells are drilled into the Dakota aquifer, although a few Dakota wells are covered by parts of the Western Kansas Groundwater Management District #1 (headquartered in Scott City) and the Big Bend Groundwater Management District #5 (headquartered in Stafford). Groundwater management district staff are familiar with the local subsurface geology, ground-water quality problems, and other water issues that landowners encounter.
In some situations, information about current water levels in wells drilled in the Dakota aquifer is also useful for judging the likelihood of obtaining water in a specific location. Water-level information is available in hard copy and electronic form (either CD-ROM or over the World Wide Web) from the Survey. It is also available from the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The Division also maintains regional offices throughout Kansas that can offer information, particularly related to water quantity.
The Kansas Geological Survey maintains a home page for the Dakota Aquifer program on the World Wide Web. This is a good source of information, both nontechnical and technical, on the Dakota aquifer in Kansas. The address is http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Dakota/vol1/dakotaHome.html.
For those without internet access, the data on the internet will be available on CD-ROM. KGS publications and open-file reports from the Dakota aquifer program are also available in hard copy format. These include
A User's Guide to the Dakota Aquifer in Kansas, by P. Allen Macfarlane, D. O. Whittemore, and J. H. Doveton (KGS Technical Series 2, in press) [available online]
Kansas Ground Water, compiled by Rex Buchanan and Robert Buddemeier (KGS Educational Series 10)
"A User's Guide to Well-spacing Requirements for the Dakota Aquifer in Kansas," by P. Allen Macfarlane and Robert S. Sawin (KGS Public Information Circular 1)
"The Dakota Aquifer System in Kansas," by P. Allen Macfarlane (KGS Public Information Circular 7); and "The Water-supply-suitability Areas of the Dakota Aquifer in Kansas," by P. Allen Macfarlane (KGS Public Information Circular 8)
Additional information on the Dakota aquifer can be obtained by contacting the Geohydrology Section at the Kansas Geological Survey.
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Kansas Geological Survey, Public Outreach
bsawin@kgs.ku.edu
Web version May 1998
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic10/pic10_4.html