A Preliminary Report on the Water Supply of the Meade Artesian Basin, Meade County, Kansas

Abstract

The Meade artesian basin is situated in Meade County, southwestern Kansas, at the eastern edge of the high plains. It is underlain by unconsolidated gravel, sand, silt, and clay, of Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Recent age, which lie unconformably on Cretaceous and Permian rocks. Most of the artesian water is obtained from the Pliocene deposits, but some of it comes from the Pleistocene beds at shallow depths. Development of the artesian water in this area was started in 1886, and in 1938 approximately 3,860 acre-feet of water was produced from wells by pumping, and natural flow from the artesian aquifers of the area. In addition, about 3,240 acre-feet of water was discharged by large springs in 1938. The head of the artesian water in wells has declined only a few feet since the first well was drilled, and the increased discharge from flowing wells has been about equal to the decrease in spring discharge. The shallow non artesian water is derived partly from upward leakage of artesian water. The water table has been depressed considerably during the last 50 years. The perennial yield obtainable from the artesian water-bearing beds without decreasing the head is about equal to the total annual discharge at the present time, that is, about 7,109 acre-feet annually, of which 3,860 acre-feet is derived from wells and 3,240 acre-feet from springs. A considerable quantity of artesian water is lost by leakage into the overlying body of shallow ground water. It is estimated that under conditions of general pumping over the basin sufficient to lower the head enough to stop all surface flow and underground leakage, an annual yield of about 10,000 acre-feet could be obtained from wells. Under such conditions, however, the main source of recharge to the shallow water reservoir would be destroyed and serious consequences to naturally subirrigated crops might result.