January 1993 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes

Abstract

Water levels measured in January 1993 showed the effects of above-average precipitation that fell over most of Kansas during 1992. The 1993 sample exhibited an average water-level rise of 1.0 ft (30.5 cm) since the 1992 measurement. This is due to a combination of ground-water recharge and reduced irrigation pumping. The single largest rise was 84.89 ft (25.87 m), and the largest decline in water level was 11.1 ft (3.38 m). Annual water-level rises outnumbered declines 66% to 34% for wells in this report. The 1992–93 period is the first time since 1988 that average water levels have risen. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate a similar pattern, with small annual water-level rises. Of the four major regions, region I (SW Kansas) was the only one in which annual declines in reported water levels outnumbered rises. Despite the large volume of precipitation and decreased pumping, water levels in all regions remain substantially lower than predevelopment levels.