January 1994 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes

Abstract

Water levels measured in January 1994 showed the effects of abundant precipitation that fell over most of Kansas during 1993. The 1994 sample exhibited an average water-level rise of 1.1 ft (33.5 cm) since the 1993 measurement. This is because of a combination of ground-water recharge and reduced irrigation pumping. The single largest rise was 43.06 ft (13.12 m), and the largest decline in water level was 21.53 ft (6.56 m). Annual water-level rises outnumbered declines 62% to 38% for wells in this report. The 1993–94 period is the second consecutive period that water levels have risen. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate a similar pattern, with small average 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. In region V, a significant increase in both the percentage of wells with water level rises and the average water level was observed.