Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
The Kansas Geological Survey Technical Series features timely technical publications on research in groundwater studies, energy resources, geology, geophysics, petrophysics, chemical analysis, and spatial analysis.
Midcontinent Carbonate Research Virtual Symposium Extended Abstracts
This volume is the result of a virtual symposium on U.S. Midcontinent carbonate research hosted by the Kansas Geological Survey on September 14–15, 2021. The idea to hold the symposium was motivated by the importance of Midcontinent carbonate rocks in that they: • have contributed to fundamental sedimentology and stratigraphy concepts • host active and mature hydrocarbon reservoirs • are targets for CO2 sequestration • serve as outcrop analogs for petroleum systems • store paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental information • are sources of construction and industrial materials The goals of the symposium were to (1) have presentations on new and ongoing research on carbonate formations in the Midcontinent region, (2) foster discussion and the exchange of ideas, (3) explore opportunities for future collaborations, and (4) generate interest in having future meetings on a regular basis. The extended abstracts in this volume come from presentations that were given at the symposium. They cover Cambrian to Pennsylvanian carbonate rocks in the Midcontinent and comprise a diverse array of subjects, including sedimentologic, tectonic, geochemical, geophysical, diagenetic, reservoir, and aggregate studies.
Copyright (c) 2021 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Mineralogical and Chemical Evolution of Lamproites in Woodson and Wilson Counties, Southeastern Kansas
The major and trace element content of 123 lamproites and associated sedimentary rock samples from six cores of the Silver City Dome and two cores from the Rose Dome in southeastern Kansas were analyzed. The lamproites are ultrapotassic (weight percent K2O/Na2O = 2.0 to 22.1), alkalic (molecular [K2O +Na2O]/Al2O3 = 1.01 to 3.04), and are enriched in mantle-incompatible elements (e.g., light REE, Ta, Hf, Ba, Rb, Sr, Th). The low Al2O3 content of these samples is consistent with lamproites formed in stable continental settings such as those from West Kimberley, Australia, and Smoky Butte, Montana. Also the lack of a significant negative Ta and Nb anomaly in mantle-normalized plots precludes the source rocks having been involved in subduction. The samples from the Silver City cores are composed of mostly serpentinized olivine and mica with lesser amounts of K-richterite, diopside, rutile, apatite, perovskite, and spinel in a serpentinized groundmass. The Rose Dome cores contain mostly serpentinized olivine and mica with minor diopside, spinel, perovskite (more abundant than at Rose Dome), xenotime, and feldspar. Most mica compositions follow the trend of decreasing FeO and Al2O3 similar to trends of the Guess Core and the Wolgidite trend at West Kimberly. Micas enriched in Ba and Ti (BaO = 16.6–19.3 weight percent; TiO2 = 26.0– 27.8 weight percent) rim some micas of more normal composition. These very high Ba and Ti-rich micas have not been found in other lamproites or other types of alkalic rocks. The average composition of the shallow cores at the Silver City Dome are similar to one another (except for Na2O, Li, and Cs), although the average composition of the shallow cores are different than the previously studied deeper Guess and Ecco Ranch cores in this area. The average composition of the two Eagle cores at Rose Dome are similar to one another, but they are higher in Fe2O3 (total), MgO, CaO, P2O5, Th, Co, Ni, Cr, U, Y, REE, Cu, and Cs concentrations than the shallow cores from the Silver City Dome. Metasomatized mantle (lherzolite-harzburgite) containing varied amounts of veins containing clinopyroxene, K-Ti amphibole, phlogopite, apatite, and K-Ba-Zr-Nb titanates could have melted in varied amounts to form the lamproites. The lower SiO2 and Al2O3 and higher MgO lamproites at Rose Dome likely result from melting at a higher temperature of more lherzolite-harzburgite and less vein material than the more SiO2-rich and MgO-poor lamproites at Silver City. Also the concentration of most elements varies vertically in the cores, and the variation in the elemental concentration can be related to mineral gravity settling, flow differentiation, or volatile transport processes within the sills. For example, at the Silver City Dome, concentrations of olivine and phlogopite can be related to the samples with the lowest SiO2 and highest MgO, Mg#, Ni, and Co content. The portions of the cores with the highest concentrations of K2O, Al2O3, and Sc may be correlated to samples with the highest phlogopite. Also Ba often decreases in amount upward in many cores at the Silver City Dome and is enriched in overlying hornfels compared to the unaltered overlying shale. Ba movement in H2O-rich fluids into the overlying hornfels can explain this observation. Curiously, overlying limestones are not enriched in Ba, so at least locally the limestones may be impervious to the fluids.
Copyright (c) 2011 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Status of the High Plains Aquifer in Kansas
The High Plains aquifer (HPA), which includes the Ogallala aquifer, is the primary source of water for western Kansas and is economically the most important groundwater resource in the state. This aquifer and the river-reservoir systems located principally in eastern Kansas are identified as the two most critical water resource components of the state’s Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas (https://kwo.ks.gov/water-vision-water-plan/water-vision). Two of the keys to implementing the vision are to clearly define the resource conditions and issues and to review and evaluate progress toward achieving vision goals. This Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) publication addresses these two keys by providing an assessment of the recent and current resource conditions of the HPA. This assessment, which can be used in the future to evaluate progress toward either sustaining or prolonging the life of the aquifer, evaluates water-level and use data for the aquifer for 1996–2016. The KGS plans annual updates to this publication.
Copyright (c) 2018 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Guidebook of the 18th Biennial Meeting of the American Quaternary Association
ln June 2004, the University of Kansas hosted the 18th Biennial Meeting of the American Quaternary Association (AMQUA). In addition to a technical session, two pre-meeting and post-meeting field trips were held. Although a guidebook was prepared for distribution at the conference, plans were made to revise it after the trips were completed. Specifically, the authors wanted to include feedback from field-trip participants. Also, by publishing the guidebook in the Kansas Geological Survey's Technical Series, peer review of the manuscripts was ensured, and the volume would gain a broader audience. The resulting guidebook is much more than descriptive narratives for localities along routes; it provides a wealth of new information about the glacial history, loess record, archeology, geoarcheology, and late Quaternary paleoecology of the midcontinent of the United States. Field Trip 1 focuses on the stratigraphy, paleopedology, lithology, and chronology of Last Glacial loess in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Joseph Mason and his colleagues shed new light on the history of loess deposition in areas bordering the Missouri River valley. They use loess thickness and grain-size trends to identify sediment sources, and new data are presented for the Loveland Loess type locality as well as other loess sections. Field Trip 2 focuses on late Quaternary biogeography and paleoecology along the prairie-forest border in the eastern Plains. The dynamics of prairie vegetation (including the effects of fire and bison) and soils are considered at the Konza Prairie Biological Station in northeastern Kansas. In addition, paleoecological evidence (i.e., pollen, phytolith. and plant macrofossil records) indicating late Quaternary bioclimatic change is presented and examined in the South Fork of the Big Nemaha River in southeastern Nebraska. Field Trip 3 focuses on pre-Illinoian tills and associated sediments and paleosols in northeastern Kansas and central Missouri. Wakefield Dort presents evidence of glaciation and considers the location of the terminal glacial boundary in Kansas. Charles Rovey describes the lithostratigraphy of pre-Illinoian glaciogenic sediments in north-central Missouri and presents the results of recent paleomagnetic studies used to estimate the age of pre-Illinoian tills in north-central Missouri. Field Trip 4 focuses on late Quaternary alluvial stratigraphy and geoarcheology in the central Great Plains of Kansas and northern Oklahoma. Four early Paleoindian sites—Simshauser, Waugh, Cooper, and Jake Bluff—are included in this trip. Also, the Winger site, a late Paleoindian bison bonebed in southwestern Kansas, and the Claussen site, a stratified Paleoarchaic campsite in northeastern Kansas, are described.
Copyright (c) 2006 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Enhancement of the Bedrock-Surface-Elevation Map Beneath the Ogallala Portion of the High Plains Aquifer, Western Kansas
Development of tailored ground-water-management plans for the Ogallala portion of the High Plains aquifer in western Kansas calls for a more accurate assessment of the water table and bedrock-surface-elevation data used to calculate saturated thickness. Until this most recent effort, bedrock-surface elevation beneath the Ogallala aquifer in western Kansas was known only from a map based on data collected up through about 1980. Since then, new data have become available for the thousands of wells that have been drilled for water and hydrocarbons in western Kansas and in the adjacent townships of Nebraska, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Out of more than 40,000 records examined, a total of 22,535 data points were selected for inclusion in the bedrock-surface-elevation database for this project. Depth-to-bedrock information in Kansas was determined from interpretation of driller and gamma-ray logs or was provided from the WIZARD database. Data also were included from the surrounding states that border the Kansas Ogallala region. The data were entered into an ArcGIS geographic-infomation system from spreadsheets. A land-surface digital-elevation model was used to estimate a surface elevation and with depth-to-bedrock data, to estimate bedrock-surface elevation for each well location. Bedrock-surface elevations were plotted and manually contoured to produce the latest version (2004) of the bedrock-surface-configuration map. Overall, bedrock-surface elevation across the Ogallala region is approximately 1 ft (0.3 m) lower than the previous map version, which is well within the error of the data used to create the updated map. Locally, the magnitude of the change in the bedrock-surface configuration is greatest in southwest Kansas, and the size of the areas where the change is greatest is larger in this region of the state than elsewhere. A visual comparison of the two map versions clearly shows that the increase in data used to produce the updated map has resulted in a concomitant increase in the level of topographic detail that can be shown. A significant part of the process of producing the final updated bedrock map (Plate lA and 1B) involved investigation of the Crooked Creek-Fowler and Bear Creek faults that appear on earlier bedrock-surface-elevation maps. These features have previously been interpreted as continuous-fault zones associated with dissolution of evaporites in the Flower-pot Shale rather than dissolution fronts characterized by sinkholes, coalesced subsidence basins, and local faulting with minor displacement. The top of the Blaine Formation was chosen as a structural-mapping horizon to evaluate shallow geologic structure, and comparisons were made to the better-understood Hutchinson Salt Member dissolution zone in central Kansas. Results of the investigation suggest that the dissolution-front interpretation is more likely than the continuous-fault interpretation. Consequently, the fault traces on the bedrock were removed from the updated map, and the bedrock-surface-elevation data were re-contoured to reflect the dissolution-front hypothesis. The updated map also provides insight into the Cenozoic drainage development of western Kansas in response to uplift of the Rocky Mountains to the west, isostatic rebound attributed to erosion of significant sediment thickness on the western Great Plains, and Quaternary climatically driven cycles of erosion, deposition, and stability. Pre-Ogallala drainage that included the ancestral Arkansas River entered Kansas from Colorado and exited the state approximately where the present-day Cimarron River enters Oklahoma. A southward-flowing tributary drainage followed the axis of the Scott-Finney depression to the main stem in southern Finney County. An incised paleovalley extending from eastern Gray, Ford, and Edwards counties seems to represent a post-Ogallala segment of the eastward-flowing ancestral Arkansas River drainage.
January 2002 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water Level Changes
Water levels measured in January 2002 generally showed slightly fewer declines and slightly fewer rises than those measured in January 2001, except in the south-central region, where slightly more declines were observed. The 2002 measurements (a total of 1,370 in all) showed an average water-level decline of 0.91 ft (27.7 cm) for the 2001–2002 period compared to an average decline of 1.26 ft (38.4 cm) during the 2000–2001 period. The single largest rise in water level was 10.2 ft (3.11 m) and the largest decline was 14.4 ft (4.39 m) for the wells in this report. Annual water-level declines outnumbered rises 73% to 26% compared to 80% declines and 20% rises in the 2001 report. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate a continuing trend of decline in region I, a slight shift toward less decline in region II, a marked shift toward less decline in region III, and a slight shift toward more decline in most of region V with water-level rises occurring in the northwestern portion. More specifically, water-level declines occurred in nearly all of region I, but appreciably large areas of rise occurred mainly in Kearny, Finney, and Morton counties. In region II, the total area of decline decreased in Greeley and Wichita and increased in Scott and Lane counties. The total area of rise greater than 1 ft in region II decreased relative to the 2001 measurements, while the total area of relatively stationary water levels increased. The total area of water-level decline in region III markedly decreased during 2001–2002, while the total area of relatively stationary water levels and rises increased. In region V (south central region), where the water table is relatively shallow, a slight increase in the total area of water-level decline occurred over most of the region, while significant areas of water-level rise occurred over most of the region.
Copyright (c) 2004 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Energy plays a vital role in the Kansas economy and in the daily lives of the people of the state. As demand for energy grows and finite energy sources approach depletion, understanding energy use and production becomes increasingly important. The Kansas Energy Abstract is a compilation of data relating to the state's energy-related activities. It was originally compiled as a working document for the State Energy Resources Coordination Council (SERCC), at the suggestion of M. Lee Allison, KGS Director and SERCC Chair. The tables and figures contained herein provide the most up-to-date information available on the major sources of energy in Kansas, as well as historical and current data on energy production, consumption, expenditures, and prices on a state and national level. The abstract also contains sections on specific energy sources — coal, petroleum, natural gas, electricity, and renewables. These data should be of use to anyone wanting to learn more about energy production and use in Kansas.
Copyright (c) 2003 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
January 2001 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
Water levels measured in January 2001 generally showed many more declines and much fewer rises than those measured in January 2000. The 2001 measurements showed an average water-level decline of 1.26 ft (38.4 cm) for the 2000–2001 period compared to an average decline of 0.37 ft (11.3 cm) during the 1999–2000 period. The 2000–2001 period showed the largest average decline from the previous year since the 1994–1995 period. The single largest rise in water level was 32.0 ft (9.76 m), and the largest decline was 27.5 ft (8.38 m) for the wells in this report. Annual water-level declines outnumbered rises 80% to 20% compared to 61% declines and 39% rises in the 2000 report. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate a very strong shift toward greater decline is regions I and III, a significant but less strong shift toward greater decline in region II, and a strong shift toward more decline in most of region V with water-level rises continuing in the southern portion. More specifically, water-level declines occurred in nearly all of region I, but appreciably large areas of rise occurred in central Kearny and west-central Finney counties. In region II, the total area of decline increased, especially in Wallace, Wichita, and Greeley counties. The total area of rise in region II remained about the same as the 2000 measurements, but the individual areas were well distributed, while the total area of relatively stationary water levels decreased. The total area of water-level decline in region III markedly increased during 2000–2001, while the total area of relatively stationary water levels and water-level rises decreased. In region V, where the water table is relatively shallow, a marked increase in the total area of water-level decline occurred over most of the region, while large areas of water-level rise persist, especially in Kiowa, Pratt, and Kingman counties in the southern portion.
Copyright (c) 2002 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Lithostratigraphic Cross Section and Units from Gove to Harper Counties, Kansas
This report consists of two plates: (1) Lithostratigraphic Cross Section from Gove to Harper Counties, Kansas, and (2) Lithostratigraphic Units from Gove to Harper Counties, Kansas
January 2000 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
Water levels measured in January 2000 generally showed fewer declines and more rises in region I (southwest), a tendency toward water-level decline in region II (west-central), stationary water levels in region III (northwest), and slight decline in region V (south-central). The 2000 measurements showed an average water-level decline of 0.37 ft (11.3 cm) from the 1999 measurements compared to an average decline of 0.31 ft (9.4 cm) during the 1998–99 period. The single largest rise in water level was 21.9 ft (6.68 m), and the largest decline was 15.7 ft (4.79 m) for the wells in this report. Annual water-level declines outnumbered rises 61% to 39%, as in the 1999 report. Regional breakdowns of the data Indicate that fewer areas experienced sharply declining water levels and that more areas experienced sharply rising water levels in region I than during the previous period. The western portion of region II showed larger areas with water-level rises with a small area of sharp decline, the central portion showed increased areas of water-level decline, and the eastern portion showed stationary water levels. Region III generally showed a significant decrease in the areas of declines and rises greater than 1 ft (30 cm) relative to the 1998–99 period. In region V, where the water table is relatively shallow, a marked decrease in the total area of water-level decline occurred in the western portion of the region while a large increase in the total area of water-level decline was observed in the rest of the region.
Copyright (c) 2000 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
January 1999 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
Water levels measured in January 1999 generally showed more declines and fewer rises in region I (southwest), a slight tendency toward water-level decline in region II (west-central) and in region III (northwest), and a tendency toward water-level rise in region V (south-central) except in the westernmost counties. The 1999 measurements showed an average water-level decline of 0.31 ft (9.4 cm) from the 1998 measurements compared to an average rise of 0.15 ft (4.6 cm) during the 1997–98 period. The strong pattern of increasing water-level decline in the western portions of region V is probably caused by decreased recharge resulting from less precipitation in this area in 1998. The single largest rise in water level was 31.6 ft (9.63 m), and the largest decline was 27.4 ft (8.35 m) for the wells in this report. Annual water-level declines outnumbered rises 61% to 39%, compared to 51% rises and 48% declines in the 1998 report. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate that more areas experienced declining water levels and that fewer areas experienced rising water Levels in region I. The western portion of region II showed larger areas with declines, and the eastern portion showed relatively stationary water levels with localized areas of rise and decline. Region III generally showed a trend of decline but to a lesser extent than in 1997–98. In region V, where the water table is relatively shallow, a marked increase in the total area of water-level decline occurred in the western portion of the region while a general tendency toward rise with localized areas of decline occurred over the remainder of the region. Small, localized areas of water-level rise greater than 2 ft were observed in both the western and eastern edges of region V.
Copyright (c) 1999 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Geochemistry of Oils and Hydrocarbon Source Rocks from the Forest City Basin, Northeastern Kansas, Northwestern Missouri, Southwestern Iowa, and Southeastern Nebraska
Comparisons of saturated hydrocarbon and terpane (m/z = 191) distributions for 26 Forest City basin oils demonstrate three geochemically distinct groups. Group 1 oils (n = 18) are produced from Middle and Upper Ordovician sandstones and limestones and Silurian-Devonian dolomites in anticlines along the north-northeast–south-southwest-trending basin axis close to the Humboldt fault, and from the Vassar and East-McLouth complex of fields on its eastern flank. Group 2 oils (n = 7) are produced from stratigraphic and combination structural-stratigraphic traps in lenticular Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian sandstones in fields extending south-southwestward from the Kansas City region into the Cherokee platform, and from the Yaege field on the Nemaha uplift to the west of the Humboldt fault. The Group 3 oil is produced from the Kansas City Group in the Davis Ranch field along the axis of the basin. Rock-Eval and organic-carbon analyses of 123 core, sidewall core, cuttings, and mine samples show good hydrocarbon source-rock potential for Middle Ordovician, Upper Devonian–Lower Mississippian, and Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian intervals. Organic-matter thermal maturity for all intervals generally increases from north to south. Organic matter in lower Paleozoic strata is generally marginally mature to mature, whereas organic matter in Pennsylvanian strata is immature to marginally mature. Comparison of saturated hydrocarbon and terpane (m/z = 191) distribution from rock extracts with those of the oils show that source rocks for the Group 1 oils are shales in the Middle Ordovician Simpson Group; Group 2 oils, the upper Devonian–Lower Mississippian Chattanooga Shale, and Group 3 oil, marine black shales within the Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian section.
January 1998 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
Water levels measured in January 1998 generally showed more rises and fewer declines in region I (southwest), a very slight tendency toward water-level rise in region II (west-central), a tendency toward decline in region III (northwest), and a rather strong tendency toward water-level rise in region V (south-central). The 1998 measurements showed an average water-level rise of 0.15 ft (4.6 cm) over the 1997 measurements compared to an average rise of 0.06 ft (1.8 cm) during the 1996–97 period. The overall pattern of increasing water-level decline in region III may be the result of increased pumpage since the 1997 measurements. The strong pattern of increasing water-level rise in the central and eastern portions of region V is probably caused by increased recharge from precipitation in 1997. The single largest rise in water level was 25.3 ft (7.71 m), and the largest decline was 30.2 ft (9.20 m) for the wells in this report. Annual water-level rises outnumbered declines 51% to 48%, contrasted with 53% declines and 47% rises in the 1997 report. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate that more areas experienced rising water levels and that fewer areas experienced declining water levels in region I. Region II showed fewer areas with declines and fewer areas with rises greater than 1 ft (0.3 m), while showing a slight overall trend of water-level rise. Region III generally showed more areas with water-level declines throughout except in the central part of the region where water-level rises were generally observed. In region V, where the water table is relatively shallow, a marked increase in the total area of water-level rise and a marked decrease in the total area of water-level decline were observed. Most of the areas of decline were in the far northwestern, western, and southwestern portions of the region.
Copyright (c) 1998 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
January 1997 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
Water levels measured in January 1997 generally showed more increases and fewer declines in the western regions (I, II, and III), while in the south-central region (V), 1997 water-level changes generally mirrored the pattern of annual precipitation during 1996. The 1997 measurements showed an average water-level rise of 0.06 ft (1.8 cm) over the 1996 measurements, compared to an average decline of 0.5 ft (15 cm) during the 1995–1996 period. The overall pattern of rising water levels is probably a result of increased recharge and decreased pumpage in the western regions and in the western portion of the south-central region since the 1996 measurements. The single largest rise in water level was 20.0 ft (6.10 m), and the largest decline was 23.1 ft (7.04 m). Annual water-level rises outnumbered declines 53% to 47% for wells in this report, compared to 54% declines and 46% rises in the 1996 report. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate an increase in the areas that experienced rising water levels in the western regions I and II. Region III showed more areas with water-level declines in the western part of the region and more areas with water-level rises in the eastern part of the region. In region V, the water table is relatively shallow. In most of the western counties of this region, rising water levels correlate with increases in annual precipitation during 1996. In contrast, water-level declines are more prevalent in the eastern counties and correlate with decreases in annual precipitation during 1996. Small areas of sharp decline seem to indicate localized areas of increased irrigation pumpage. In the remainder of the state (regions IV, VI, VII, and VIII), the water-level data are too sparse to lend themselves to regional analysis.
Copyright (c) 1997 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Potential for Sodium and Salinity in the Soil-Survey Mapping Units of Kansas
Soil surveys published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS; formerly Soil Conservation Service [SCS]) for each of the 105 counties in Kansas were reviewed to assess the extent and distribution of soils affected by sodium or salinity throughout the entire state. Salt-affected soils have important implications for soil-management practices. A list of affected soil series was compiled along with maps to illustrate the distribution. The list and maps were subsequently refined using information obtained from the State Soil Survey Data Base maintained by the NRCS. A liberal interpretation of what constitutes an affected soil was employed in order to include all soils that might be only slightly affected by either sodium or salinity. However, discounting all such slightly affected soils still leaves more than one million acres of soils in Kansas (less than 2% of the total area of the state) that are affected by sodium or salinity to a degree great enough to be classified as saline, sodic, or saline-sodic, based on the accepted definition of these terms. A total of 84 counties identified as containing at least one soil series that may be slightly affected by sodium or salinity illustrates a distribution more widespread than one might expect for the state of Kansas. Given the variations in climate, landscape position, and parent materials of the soils identified, it suggests that occurrences of affected soils are a function of a combination of factors upon a generally widespread presence of at least slight levels of salinity throughout the Kansas environment. It suggests, also, a need for greater sensitivity to the possibility of both existing and potential occurrences of affected soils in the development and use of Kansas landscapes.
January 1996 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
Water levels measured in January 1996 showed the effects of the increase in annual precipitation over most of Kansas during 1995. The 1996 sample exhibited an average water-level decline of 0.5 ft (15 cm) since the 1995 measurements compared to 1.7 ft (52 cm) during the 1994–95 period. This is probably because of an increase in recharge since the 1995 measurements. The single largest rise in water level was 20.0 ft (6.10 m), and the largest decline was 20.2 ft (6.16 m). Annual water-level declines outnumbered rises 54% to 46% for wells in this report. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate a strong trend of water-level increase in areas where the water table is shallow and irrigation pumpage is low and a continuing trend of water-level decline where the water table is deep and irrigation pumping is appreciable. There are small areas of sharp decline despite increases in average 1995 precipitation for the region. The greatest change (from decline to rise) occurred in the northern, central, and eastem portions of region V (south-central Kansas).
Copyright (c) 1996 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
January 1995 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
Water levels measured in January 1995 showed the effects of the decline in annual precipitation over most of Kansas during 1994. The 1995 sample exhibited an average water-level decline of 1.7 ft (52 cm) since the 1994 measurement. This is probably due to a decline in recharge and an increase in irrigation pumping during 1994 compared to the wet year of 1993. The single largest rise in water level was 16.2 ft (4.93 m), and the largest decline was 29.9 ft (9.11 m). Annual water-level declines outnumbered rises 80% to 19% for wells in this report. Regional breakdowns of the data indicate a similar pattern, with small average annual water-level declines. In all regions, wells with annual declines greatly outnumbered wells with annual rises. For all regions except region I (Southwestern Kansas), this is a reversal of the trend toward rising water levels observed over the last two years. The greatest change (from rise to decline) occurred in the northern, central, and eastern portions of region V (South-central Kansas).
Copyright (c) 1995 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
Surficial Geology and Stratigraphy of Russell County, Kansas
Russell County is located in north-central Kansas, within the Smoky Hills physiographic province, which exhibits a wide variety of erosional and depositional landscapes. Outcrops range in age from Upper Cretaceous to Holocene, including the Dakota Formation, Graneros Shale, Greenhorn Limestone, Carlile Shale, Niobrara Chalk, Ogallala Formation, and several unconsolidated Quaternary eolian and fluvial deposits. The Dakota Formation, consisting of deltaic sandstones and mudstones, underlies the entire county but crops out primarily ln the eastern one-half of the study area. The Graneros Shale is a thin formation of dominantly fissile shale, poorly exposed, that crops out conformably between the Dakota and the overlying Greenhorn Limestone. The Greenhorn Limestone consists of transgressive beds of shale and chalk and crops out countywide. Intensively dissected in some areas, the Greenhorn Limestone forms steep canyons where resistant beds of chalk and chalky limestone, such as the Fencepost Limestone, are present. The Carlile Shale consists of two distinct members in Russell County, the Fairport Chalk Member and the Blue Hill Shale Member. Exposures of the Fairport Chalk Member are common throughout the county but are thickest in the northwestern corner, whereas the Blue Hill Shale Member is exposed only in the northwestern corner of Russell County. Due to the paucity of exposures, the Codell Sandstone Member of the Carlile Shale is not differentiated from the Blue Hill Shale Member. Unconformably overlying the Carlile is the Niobrara Chalk, which consists of two distinct members, the Fort Hays Limestone Member and the Smoky Hill Chalk Member. Both members of the Niobrara Chalk are confined to the extreme northwestern corner of Russell County. Outcrops of the Miocene-age Ogallala Formation, a sedimentary sequence of Rocky Mountain-derived fluvial sediments, have been tentatively identified and are largely confined to the northwestern corner of the county. Quaternary deposits, ranging in age from pre-Illinoian to Holocene, mantle much of Russell County, but are generally poorly exposed. Pre-Illinoian associations are tentative, consisting of the Grand Island and Sappa Formations, and are based on the topographic position of upland gravel deposits. Illinoian stratigraphy consists of the Crete Formation, Loveland Loess, and Sangamon Soil. Sands and gravels of the Crete Formation are expressed as a high terrace along the major streams in the county, but their distribution is uncertain. The Loveland Loess is widely distributed in north-central Kansas and has been recognized at one site in Russell County. The Sangamon Soil, a major pedostratigraphic feature which caps the lllinoian Loveland Loess, has been identified in Russell County. Overlying the Sangamon Soil is the middle-Wisconsinan Gilman Canyon Formation and the late-Wisconsinan Peoria Loess. The Gilman Canyon Formation is a loess that accumulated at a sufficiently slow rate for the development of a soil. Accelerated loess fall during the late Pleistocene produced the Peoria Loess, which mantles the upland. Holocene stratigraphic elements include the Brady Soil, Bignell Loess, modern surface soil, and fluvial deposits. The Brady Soil caps the Peoria Loess and is discontinuous in Russell County but is recognizable only where it is buried by Bignell Loess. Holocene fluvial deposits occur as fill in a high terrace and as post-1,000-yr B.P. floodplain sediments.
Outcrop Stratigraphy and Depositional Facies of the Chase Group (Permian, Wolfcampian) in Kansas and Southeastern Nebraska
Regional aspects of the stratigraphy and depositional environments of Chase Group strata were examined throughout Kansas and in southeastern Nebraska based on description and correlation of 196 measured sections. Several important revisions in the stratigraphic nomenclature of the group are proposed and documented: (1) the base of the Schroyer Member of the Wreford Limestone is consistently placed at the base of the cherty limestone section that variously overlies either shale or a thick section of non-cherty limestones in the upper Havensville Member; (2) reinstatement of the name Bruno limestone in reference to a stratigraphically significant carbonate zone within the Blue Springs Member of the Matfield Shale; (3) the Blue Springs-Florence contact is placed at the base of a regionally persistent section of non-cherty limestone and minor interbedded shale in the basal Florence; (4) abandonment of the Barneston Limestone, and elevation of the Florence and Fort Riley each to formation status; (5) recognition of the Cole Creek Member (new name) in reference to the section of non-cherty limestones, and locally, interbedded shales in the basal part of the Florence Formation; (6) inclusion of the Oketo Shale as the upper member of the Florence Formation; (7) recognition that the Gage Member of the Doyle Shale is present in southern Kansas; (8) recognition in south-central Kansas of the non-cherty Santa Fe Lake Member (new name) of the Winfield Limestone as the stratigraphic equivalent of the basal, cherty Stovall Member present in central and northern Kansas; (9) reinstatement of the Luta as the upper member of the Winfield Limestone (thus extracting it from its present inclusion within the Cresswell Member); and (10) recognition that the Cresswell Member of the Winfield Limestone is absent by nondeposition in northern Kansas and Nebraska, where instead, only the Stovall, Grant, and Luta Members compose the formation. The stratigraphy of the Chase Group defines a hierarchal framework of third-order to progressively higher-frequency, fifth- or sixth-order cycles that document the combined effects of glacio-eustatic forcing, regional to local tectonism along the still-active Nemaha Ridge, and autogenic controls on deposition. Classic midcontinent cyclothems are represented by the fourth- or fifth-order cycles in Chase Group strata.
January 1994 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
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.
Copyright (c) 1994 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
January 1993 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
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.
January 1992 Kansas Water Levels and Data Related to Water-Level Changes
This report summarizes hydrologic data from the cooperative program of ground-water-level measurements in Kansas. The program is carried out jointly by the Kansas Geological Survey, the Division of Water Resources (Kansas Board of Agriculture), and the U.S. Geological Survey and involves water-level measurements on a network of approximately 1,500 monitoring wells. Appendix A is a list of publications containing ground-water-level data for Kansas. The data tables of Appendix B contain the primary information on well locations and characteristics, past and present water-level measurements, other information on water resources, trends in the measurements, and the amounts and types of information available for each well.
Copyright (c) 1993 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)
User's Guide to the Dakota Aquifer in Kansas
The Dakota aquifer system and its equivalents extend across much of the central North American continent. The contiguous aquifer system extends northward from Kansas approximately to the Arctic Circle in Canada, southward into northeastern New Mexico and the Oklahoma panhandle, westward to the Rocky Mountain front, and eastward to western Iowa and Minnesota. Across the Continental Divide, the Dakota aquifer is present in many of the intermontane basins. Thus, the Dakota is an important source of water in many areas of the North American continent. Historically, the Dakota aquifer has generally been poorly understood in Kansas. Because of its complexity and limited use, our poorly documented experience with this source of water contains some truths but many misconceptions about the Dakota that have continued to the present. The purpose of this book is to educate Kansans about the Dakota aquifer as we know it today. The user's guide contains two major sections. Part 1 describes the hydrogeology and water quality of the Dakota, and Part 2 is a discussion of its water resources.
Surficial Geology and Stratigraphy of Phillips County, Kansas, with emphasis on the Quaternary Period
Phillips County is located in northwestern Kansas adjacent to the Nebraska state line. It is also situated along the contact between the Smoky Hills and the High Plains physiographic regions, which is reflected in a diverse array of erosional and depositional Quaternary-age landscapes. Outcropping rock units, ranging in age from Upper Cretaceous to Holocene, include the Carlile Shale, the Niobrara Chalk, the Pierre Shale, the Ogallala Formation, and several unconsolidated Quaternary eolian and fluvial deposits. Although the Carlile Shale underlies the entire county, only a single, limited exposure exists; this outcrop occurs where an anticline has brought the Carlile sufficiently near the surface to be exposed at the base of a valley wall. The Niobrara Chalk consists of two distinct members, the Fort Hays Limestone Member and the Smoky Hill Chalk Member. Because exposures of the Niobrara Chalk occur increasingly higher in the section from south to north in the county, outcrops of the marine Fort Hays Limestone Member are confined to the south, particularly on the south side of Kirwin Reservoir. Outcrops of the Smoky Hill Chalk Member are common in the central and northern parts of the county, frequently with a cap of Ogallala rock. The Pierre Shale, the youngest outcropping Cretaceous rock, is preserved in the northwest in the downwarp of the Long Island syncline. The Miocene-age Ogallala Formation is composed of Rocky Mountain-derived fluvial sediments that progressively filled preexisting valleys and ultimately mantled the uplands. The three regionally recognized members cannot be easily differentiated in Phillips County. However, the carbonate-cemented mortar beds are conspicuous throughout the county, and silica-cemented sandstone lentils form a prominent cap rock in four areas of the county. Late Quaternary deposits occur extensively, and those exposed range in age from pre-Illinoian to Holocene. Limited exposures of pre-Illinoian materials were reported by earlier researchers but were not recovered in this study. Illinoian stratigraphy consists of the Crete Formation, the Loveland Loess, and the Sangamon soil, which caps the Loveland; exposures of the Loveland and Sangamon are common throughout Phillips County. Sand and gravel of the Crete Formation represent an alluvial phase; the Loveland consists of a widely distributed loess. The Sangamon soil is a major pedogenic complex that apparently spans several tens of thousands of years. Wisconsin-age deposits include early to middle Wisconsin fluvial deposits, the Gilman Canyon Formation, the Peoria loess, and late Wisconsin fluvial deposits. The oldest fluvial deposits are unexposed but underlie the high terraces of the North Fork Solomon River and Prairie Dog Creek. The Gilman Canyon Formation is a loess and was deposited at a sufficiently slow rate to permit pedogenesis to continue in a more or less uninterrupted fashion, forming an isochronous, regionally expressed soil, or geosol. Subsequent loess fall, producing the Peoria loess, occurred toward the end of the Pleistocene and mantles most of the upland. Late Wisconsin fluvial deposits are poorly represented, and their distribution is uncertain. Holocene stratigraphic elements include the Brady soil, the Bignell Loess, fluvial deposits, and eolian sand deposits. The Brady soil, developed within the top of the Peoria loess, appears discontinuously in Phillips County. Its presence is defined completely on the basis of the existence of overlying Bignell Loess. In most areas deposition of the Bignell has either not occurred or has been so minimal that the loess was incorporated into the surface soil, which developed at least initially within the uppermost Peoria loess. Holocene fluvial deposits occur either as a component of the high terrace or as post-1,000 yr B.P. floodplain deposits. The eolian sand deposits exist either as reworked point bar deposits situated on a low terrace of the North Fork Solomon River or as a large dune tract south of the river in the southwestern part of Phillips County.
2023 Status of the High Plains Aquifer in Kansas
The High Plains aquifer (HPA), which includes the Ogallala aquifer, is the primary source of water for western Kansas and economically is the most important groundwater resource in the state. This aquifer and the river-reservoir systems located principally in eastern Kansas are identified as the two most critical water resource components of the state’s Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas. Two of the keys to implementing the long-term vision are clearly defining the resource conditions and issues, and reviewing and evaluating progress toward achieving the vision’s goals. The Kansas Water Office updated the Kansas Water Plan in 2022. The first of the plan’s guiding principles is “Conserve and extend the High Plains aquifer.” In December 2022, the Kansas Water Authority (KWA) voted to place statements in its 2023 Annual Report to the Governor and Legislature concerning the “critical depletion of the Ogallala aquifer.” The first of these is “The policy of planned depletion of the Ogallala aquifer is no longer in the best interest of the State of Kansas.” The statements also indicate that a “collaborative process is needed to establish data-driven goals, metrics, and actions to halt the” aquifer decline and that the process should engage state agencies, committees, stakeholders, and the KWA. This Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) publication addresses key elements of the long-term vision goals, updated water plan, and annual report to the governor by providing an assessment of the recent and current resource conditions of the HPA that can be used to evaluate progress toward sustaining or prolonging the life of the aquifer.
Copyright (c) 2023 Technical Series (Kansas Geological Survey)