U.S. Department of the Interior a U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey

Programs in Kansas

For more than 100 years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been mapping, 

describing, and seeking to further the understanding of Kansas’ natural resources. The 

USGS is known for impartial data collection 

and data interpretation that enables resource 

planners and others to make informed decisions. Today’s issues are more pressing than 

ever—understanding natural hazards to minimize their effects on life and property, the 

continuing need for mineral- and waterresource development, and understanding 

the effects of human activities on biological 

and water resources. 

As the Nation’s leading earth science 

agency, the USGS cooperates with more 

than 30 Federal, State, and local agencies in 

Kansas to produce USGS maps, interpretive 

reports, and data to help our customers 

manage Kansas’ resources better. Cooperators include State natural resource agencies, 

county and municipal public works departments, tribal governments, universities, and 

other Federal agencies. The USGS also provides support to the Kansas Water 

Resources Research Institute, which conducts research, education, and information 

and technology transfer programs at Kansas 

State University in Manhattan and at the 

University of Kansas in Lawrence.

Floods

Realtime flood information, such as 

watches and warnings issued by the 

National Weather Service, use data collected by the USGS at 140 automated 

streamflow-gaging stations. USGS streamflow data also are used throughout Kansas 

by many Federal, State, and local agencies, 

as well as by private users. These customers 

use the streamflow data to manage the 

State’s reservoir system to reduce the damage caused by floods (fig. 1); to zone and 

regulate activity in flood plains, thereby saving lives and reducing property damage; to 

set insurance rates; and to design safe and 

economical highway bridges, culverts, and 

other structures. Streamflow-data analysis 

by the USGS has provided an independent 

verification of the benefits of the Kansas 

River Basin reservoir system during the 

1993 floods.

Water Availability 

Demand for water in Kansas is frequently 

greater than the available supply. The USGS 

provides critical information about supply 

and demand to State agencies that are 

responsible for water-resources management, such as the Kansas Department of 

Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources 

(DWR) and the Kansas Water Office 

(KWO). In cooperation with 14 Federal 

State, and local agencies, the USGS established and operates a near realtime data-collection network of more than 170 

streamflow gages. This network (fig. 2) provides information necessary to quantify the 

amount of water available for various uses; 

the network is continually updated to reflect 

changing information needs. Near-realtime 

streamflow information for selected sites is 

available on the World Wide Web at URL: 

http://www-ks.cr.usgs.gov/

Information for many other surface- and 

ground-water sites also is available.

The USGS, in cooperation with the DWR 

and KWO, also has developed data bases to 

estimate water use and ground-water 

recharge. This helps water-management officials minimize overdevelopment of water 

resources and prevent the infringement of 

water rights. The data collected by the 

USGS also are critical for reconciling interstate conflicts over water in rivers that cross 

Index of Subjects

Floods

Water Availability

Effects of Urbanization on Public Water 

Supply

Effects of Agriculture on Public Water Supply

Depletion of the High Plains Aquifer

Saltwater in Aquifers

Topographic Mapping

Mapping Partnerships

The Grassland Fire Danger Assessment

Earth Science Information

Geologic Mapping

Geologic Studies in the Middle Missouri Basin

Oil and Gas Resources

Surficial Geology

National Coal Resources Data System

Biological Studies in the Great Plains of 

Kansas

Figure 1. Flooding of Neosho River near Parsons, Kansas, spring 1994.

Earth Science in the Public Service
50

110

100

60

70

80

90

1952195519601965197019751980198519901995

Depth to water, in feet below land surface

SCOTT COUNTY

WELL 20S 33W 09BBB 01

Continuous-record station—1994 water year

Continuous-record station—Discontinued before 1994 water year

EXPLANATION

Kansas

City

Well

20S 33W 09BBB 01

Areal extent of

High Plains aquifer Wichita

Topeka

State boundaries. The USGS also has 

assisted the city of Wichita in assessing the 

potential for innovative solutions to meet 

future water-supply needs. The information 

provided by the USGS helps water managers 

balance supply and demand so that the citizens of Kansas can prepare for future watersupply problems before they become crises. 

Effects of Urbanization on 

Public Water Supply

Parts of Kansas have undergone significant urbanization during the past several 

decades. This urbanization has led to deterioration in surface- and ground-water quality 

in some areas. The USGS has filled an 

important role in assessing the effects of 

urbanization on water quality by determining the effects of landfills on ground-water 

quality and by evaluating the effects of 

urbanization on stormwater runoff and surface-water quality. This information can be 

used by municipal planners and others to 

manage the effects of present and future 

development.

Effects of Agriculture on Public 

Water Supply

Modern agricultural practices use pesticides and fertilizers to produce crops economically. Some of these chemicals may be 

harmful to humans and aquatic life and have 

been detected in several rivers and reservoirs 

used as public drinking-water supplies.

The USGS is providing water-resources 

information to several State agencies, such 

as the Kansas Department of Agriculture, 

and municipal water suppliers to help them 

define and manage this problem. The USGS 

collects samples to determine concentrations of pesticides and nutrients in streams 

and reservoirs in the northeastern and 

south-central parts of the State. USGS 

streamflow measurements also are important for computing chemical loads and the 

measurements contribute to understanding 

the sources and movement of pesticides and 

nutrients in water.

The USGS, in cooperation with the Kansas State Conservation Commission, studied whether or not particular agricultural 

management practices can help minimize 

the amount of pesticides and fertilizers 

transported into streams. The State of Kansas established the Delaware River Basin, 

in northeastern Kansas, as a Pesticide Management Area (PMA) by using information 

previously collected as part of the USGS’s 

National Water-Quality Assessment 

(NAWQA) Program. The Delaware River 

Basin PMA was the first such PMA in the 

Nation. The USGS monitored pesticide 

concentrations in the Delaware River basin 

and below Perry Lake, which receives 

water inflows from the PMA, to determine 

pesticide loads and concentrations in the 

streams and the Lake. Findings indicate 

that more than half of the annual load of 

the herbicide atrazine to Perry Lake occurs 

during only 10 days of the year and that climatic and hydrologic variations frequently 

have greater effect on annual loads than do 

changes in management practices. These 

findings are important for designing effective monitoring programs and management 

strategies.

Depletion of the High Plains 

Aquifer

Many farmers in western Kansas irrigate 

their crops because precipitation does not 

provide adequate moisture during the growing season for optimum yields. In much of 

western Kansas, the main source of irrigation water is the High Plains aquifer (fig. 2). 

The steady decline of water levels in parts of 

the aquifer during the past several decades 

(fig. 3) has prompted stringent management 

practices to reduce the severity of future 

water shortages.

The USGS, in cooperation with the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) and the DWR, 

monitored the High Plains aquifer by measuring water levels in more than 1,400 wells. 

Water-level data are provided to the public 

annually so that the quantity of water in the 

aquifer can be monitored and the effectiveness of water-management measures can be 

assessed. The USGS also developed a computer simulation model of the aquifer that 

has been used to understand the factors that 

contribute to the water-level declines.

Saltwater in Aquifers

Aquifers beneath many areas of central 

Kansas naturally contain water that is too 

salty for many uses. Natural processes 

sometimes cause the salty water to intrude 

into shallower freshwater aquifers, which 

can seriously affect public water-supply 

sources. Abandoned oil wells also can provide a connection between deep, salty aquifers and shallow, fresh ground-water 

resources. The USGS has conducted studies 

with the KWO and the DWR to identify 

sites of saltwater intrusion. This information 

is used for locating new water supplies.

Figure 2. Location of streamflow gages and the High Plains aquifer in Kansas.

Figure 3. Declining water levels in well 

completed in the High Plains aquifer in Scott 

County, western Kansas, 1952–95. Well 

location shown in figure 2.
Topographic Mapping 

Among the most popular and versatile 

products of the USGS are its topographic 

maps at the scale of 1:24,000 (1 inch on the 

map represents 2,000 feet on the ground). 

These maps depict basic natural and cultural 

features of the landscape, such as lakes and 

streams, highways and railroads, boundaries, and geographic names. Contour lines 

are used to depict the elevation and shape of 

terrain. Kansas is covered by 1,563 maps at 

this scale, which are useful for civil engineering, land-use planning, natural resource 

monitoring, and other technical applications. These maps have long been favorites 

with the general public for outdoor uses, 

including hiking, camping, hunting, exploring, and back-country fishing expeditions.

Mapping Partnerships

For many years the USGS, in cooperation with Federal and State governmental 

agencies in Kansas, has jointly funded and 

produced printed maps and, more recently, 

digitized geographic data products. Agencies currently participating in mapping 

partnerships include the KGS, the KWO, 

the Kansas Department of Revenue, and the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural 

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). 

The Public Land Survey System Digital 

Line Graphs, which are digitized map features, have been completed statewide for 

the 1:24,000-scale map series under a joint 

funding agreement with the KWO. Other 

products being prepared in Kansas under 

mapping partnerships include 1:100,000-

scale topographic county maps; digital 

orthophotoquads (DOQ’s), which are digital images of an aerial photograph in which 

displacements caused by the camera and 

the terrain have been removed; and digital 

elevation models. These products serve 

numerous computerized geographic information system (GIS) applications including 

natural resource management, conservation, waste disposal, emergency response 

and hazard mitigation, and other environmental and societal issues confronting the 

State’s citizens. 

The Kansas GIS Policy Board has been 

established to encourage initiatives, avoid 

duplication of effort, develop guidelines, 

promote policies and standards, promote 

education and training, and make recommendations on the use of GIS technology to 

benefit the State. USGS representatives participate in meetings of the GIS Policy Board 

and provide updated information on USGS 

programs, services, and data availability to 

help solve natural resource and other problems within the State.

The NRCS, Kansas GIS Policy Board, 

Kansas Department of Revenue, and 

USGS jointly fund the production of 

DOQ’s; coverage is complete for more 

than one-half of the State. The DOQ’s are 

distributed by the USGS on CD–ROM’s by 

county. DOQ data for Douglas, Geary, Jefferson, Meade, Osage, Riley, Shawnee, and 

Stevens Counties are available from the 

USGS on CD–ROM.

The Kansas Department of Revenue, the 

NRCS, and the USGS are participating in a 

test and demonstration project in Osage 

County using DOQ’s and land-ownership 

data for integrated agricultural analysis 

and other applications. This project will 

demonstrate how the activities of the mapping and geographic data communities can 

be organized to address earth science 

issues effectively. 

The Grassland Fire Danger 

Assessment 

Grassland fires are a serious threat to 

agricultural and urban areas. Serious grassland fire danger conditions exist when 

grasses are dry and the weather is hot, dry, 

and windy. In response to the need for 

timely information on grassland conditions, the USGS provides to the Kansas 

State and Extension Forestry Offices vegetation condition or “greenness” information that is derived from satellite data. 

USGS satellite observations provide a 

weekly statewide update of greenness conditions. The greenness information also is 

sent to the National Weather Service in 

Topeka, where it is combined with daily 

weather information to forecast fire-danger 

conditions. Whenever severe conditions 

exist, current information is provided to 

emergency monitoring centers and the 

news media for broadcast to the public.

Earth Science Information

The Earth Science Information Centers 

(ESIC’s) provide information about USGS 

programs, products, and technological 

developments to the public. Two ESIC’s 

are in Lawrence and they were established 

under a cooperative agreement between the 

USGS, the KGS, and the University of 

Kansas Space Technology Center. As part 

of the national ESIC network, these offices 

provide information on such earth science 

topics as cartography, geography, digital 

data, remote sensing, geology, geophysics, 

geochemistry, hydrology, geohydrology, 

aerial photography, and land use. They are 

supported by the USGS with reference 

materials, technical assistance, training 

and outreach activities, and access to 

USGS data bases.

Geologic Mapping

The STATEMAP component of the 

National Cooperative Geologic Mapping 

Program (NCGMP) provides funds to the 

KGS to do important geologic mapping in 

Kansas. The focus of the mapping is to 

increase an understanding of oil and gas 

fields, coal deposits, and aquifers. The geologic map data generated are archived at the 

State Survey level and within the National 

Geologic Map Data Base of the NCGMP. 

Geologic Studies in the Middle 

Missouri Basin

The State Geological Surveys of Iowa, 

Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, and the 

USGS have formed a partnership to conduct 

geologic studies of land-use issues in the 

middle Missouri Basin. These studies are 

conducted in a corridor encompassing 

Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, Council 

Bluffs, Iowa, Kansas City, Missouri and 

Kansas, and Topeka, Kansas. Most of the 

areas between the cities are a mixture of 

smaller urban centers and the intervening 

rural areas that support intensive agriculture. Geologic constraints such as collapsing or expanding soils, landslides, and 

subsidence affect land use in the corridor, 

especially in urban areas. Past practices of, 

and future needs for, municipal and industrial waste disposal, including hazardous 

waste, is of concern. Erosion, sedimentation, and surface-water contamination from 

nonpoint-source discharge are major issues 

in agricultural and urban areas. The identification, protection, and extraction of construction materials present a continuing 

problem, as does reclamation of mined 

areas. The geologic information obtained 

from these studies is essential for understanding the carrying capacity of the land, 

for identifying the potential consequences 

of land uses on the natural system, and for 

determining methods to reduce or mitigate 

any conflicts or consequences.
For More

Information

Oil and Gas Resources

As part of the National Petroleum 

Assessment, the USGS, in consultation with 

Kansas geological and energy agencies, 

assessed undiscovered conventional and 

unconventional natural gas and oil resources 

in the State. The estimates and data from the 

assessment document Kansas’ role in the 

future availability of the Nation’s energy 

resources.

Surficial Geology

Kansas faces immediate and long-term 

land-use, land-management, engineering 

construction, and water-quality problems. 

The State requires new sources of construction materials and water. Human 

activities and land uses contribute to erosion, reservoir siltation, floods, landslides, 

and swelling and collapsing soils. The 

USGS, in cooperation with the KGS, is 

involved in studies to provide information 

about the distribution of geologic resources 

and to identify potential consequences of 

land-use and land-management policies. 

The distribution, thickness, and chemical, 

physical, and engineering characteristics of 

surficial deposits are being mapped. 

National Coal Resources Data 

System 

Coal usage accounts for one-third of the 

total energy and more than 56 percent of the 

electricity generated in the United States. 

Even with improved energy conservation 

and increased natural gas use to meet 

increased energy demands, coal will continue to be a major contributor to the 

Nation’s energy mix. 

Federal, State, and regional planners, as 

well as scientists, industry, and other government agencies require current, credible, 

understandable, and standardized information about the location, quantity, and quality 

of the coal resources of the United States to 

provide the basis for optimum energy development and utilization policies. A joint venture between the USGS and the State 

Geological Surveys was initiated in 1975 to 

develop the National Coal Resources Data 

System (NCRDS), with the USGS providing the central hardware, software, and analytical capabilities and with the USGS and 

the states building and utilizing the data 

bases. Currently, cooperative projects are 

ongoing with 22 states that represent 98 percent of current U.S. coal production.

 A cooperative project between the 

USGS and the Kansas Geological Survey 

was initiated in 1979 to collect, evaluate, 

and correlate drill-hole, mine, and outcrop 

data; to encode and enter geologic and 

geochemical data into the NCRDS; and to 

access NCRDS data bases and software to 

generate new maps, reports, and resource 

assessments for the State. The continued 

data collection and support of the NCRDS 

data bases provide baseline information 

that can be accessed for annual State 

resource updates.

The locations and quality of coal beds 

are being identified by the National Coal 

Assessment, which is being conducted by 

the USGS in cooperation with State Geological Surveys including the Kansas Geological Survey. National Coal Assessment 

information may be useful to regulatory and 

land-management agencies, industry, and 

academic researchers.

Biological Studies in the Great 

Plains of Kansas

The USGS Biological Resources Division (formerly the National Biological Service) conducts research and provides 

scientific data needed for sustained economic benefits from and conservation of the 

grassland ecosystems of the central Great 

Plains. USGS research includes studies by 

the Northern Prairie Science Center, which 

is studying the distribution and movement 

patterns of the swift fox, a species of special 

concern that has been extirpated from much 

of its former range, and documenting the 

wildlife values of the Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP) for ring-necked pheasants 

in the State. The CRP has removed about 36 

million acres nationally of marginal farmland from agricultural production, thus 

enhancing the value of that acreage as food 

and cover for wildlife. Other USGS activities include gathering information on migratory shorebirds in the Cheyenne Bottoms 

wetlands, which is used as a resting and 

feeding area during migration; evaluating 

the effects of military training activities on 

the unique prairie habitat at Fort Riley; and 

biological sampling and collecting in the 

Ozark Plateau region as part of the NAWQA 

Program. Scientists of the Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Kansas State University conduct research on 

grasslands, fisheries, migratory birds, and 

landscape ecology of the Great Plains while 

teaching and training graduate students for 

the natural resources profession.

USGS state representative

4821 Quail Crest Place

Lawrence, KS 66049

(785) 832-3505

Email: dc_ks@usgs.gov

Additional earth science

information can be found by

accessing the USGS Home Page

on the World Wide Web at

http://www.usgs.gov/

For more information on

all USGS reports and products

(including maps, images,

and computerized data), call

1-800-USA-MAPS

The USGS provides maps,

reports, and information to help

others meet their needs to manage,

 develop, and protect America’s water,

energy, mineral, biological, and land

resources. We help find the natural

resources needed to build tomorrow,

and supply the scientific understanding needed to help minimize or mitigate the effects of natural hazards

and environmental damage caused

by natural and human activities. The

results of our efforts touch the daily

 life of almost every American.

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS–017–96