Chemical Quality Series 4: Chemical Quality of Irrigation Waters in Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, and Northern Gray Counties

The utilization of irrigation waters in Kansas has increased dramatically since the drought period of the 1950's. With this development has come the need for information which can be used in the determination of compatibility of groundwaters with soils and crops and in the management of the groundwater systems tapped for agricultural purposes. An important component of this information is the chemical character of the waters under consideration.

The chemical quality data contained in this report show that groundwater presently in use from the Arkansas River valley in Kearny, Hamilton, and Finney counties and a band north of the river in Finney County is of sufficiently poor quality that it could produce adverse effects upon soils and crop yields with uncontrolled long-term usage. In most cases, poorer quality groundwater is associated with the presence of saline soils and shallow water tables.

Further efforts in this study are being directed toward correlating the chemistry of the groundwaters with natural variables such as soil association, bedrock types, depth to water, and surface and bedrock topography, and using these correlations to produce areal presentations of the chemical quality data. With these correlations and more complete coverage of western Kansas, positive policy recommendations concerning the conservation and proper use of the groundwater supplies of the state will be possible. This series of studies was begun on a limited scale in 1974 with that goal in mind. Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, and southern Wallace counties were covered in that year; the results were reported in Kansas Geological Survey Chemical Quality Series 2. This report covers work done in 1975. In 1976, the rest of the southwest portion of the state was sampled; a report on that area is in preparation. This summer the Great Bend Prairie area will be sampled.