U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Prepared in cooperation with the

city of Wichita, Kansas

Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5321

Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage 

Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, 

Kansas, January 2003−January 2006

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

Riv

Ri

er

ver

Emma Creek

West Emma Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

104

0

0

+2

+2

+2

+4

+4

+6

+4

+6

+6

+8

+8

+8

+10

+10

+10

+12

+12

+12

+14

+14

+14

+16

+16

+16

+18

+18

+18

+20

+20

+22

+22

+24

+24

+26

+28

886

Study area

Area of water-level recovery between:

+10 and +20 feet

+20 and +30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet.

+10

104

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita personnel

Recovery of storage volume in study area between October 1992 and January 2006 was 156,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Bentley

Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage 

Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near 

Wichita, Kansas, January 2003–January 

2006

By Cristi V. Hansen

Prepared in cooperation with the city of Wichita, Kansas

Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5321

U.S. Department of the Interior

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

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Mark D. Myers, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2007

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U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to 

reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Hansen, C.V., 2007, Status of ground-water levels and storage volume in the Equus Beds aquifer near Wichita, 

Kansas, January 2003–January 2006: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5321, 34 p.
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................3

Methods..................................................................................................................................................3

Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................3

Previous Studies ...................................................................................................................................3

Geology and Ground Water..........................................................................................................................5

Ground-Water-Level Changes .....................................................................................................................6

Quarter-Year Intervals, 2003 to 2006 ..................................................................................................7

Cumulative Change, 2003 to 2006 .....................................................................................................28

Cumulative Change Since Period of Maximum Decline...............................................................28

Storage-Volume Changes...........................................................................................................................29

Effects of Artificial Recharge.....................................................................................................................29

Summary........................................................................................................................................................31

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................31

 

Figures

 1. Maps showing location of study area near Wichita, south-central Kansas ......................2

 2. Graphs showing relation of precipitation, water use for agricultural irrigation and by city 

of Wichita for public supply, and water-level altitudes in observation wells 104 and 886 

and Equus Beds aquifer storage-volume change in study area, 1938–January 2006.......4

 3. Generalized geologic section .....................................................................................................5

 4–6. Maps showing water-level altitudes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area:

 4. August 1940...........................................................................................................................8

 5. October 1992 ........................................................................................................................9

 6. January 2006.......................................................................................................................10

 7–23. Maps showing water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area:

 7. August 1940–January 2003...............................................................................................11

 8. August 1940–April 2003.....................................................................................................12

 9. August 1940–July 2003......................................................................................................13

 10. August 1940–October 2003...............................................................................................14

 11. August 1940–January 2004...............................................................................................15

 12. August 1940–April 2004.....................................................................................................16 

 13. August 1940–July 2004......................................................................................................17

 14. August 1940–October 2004...............................................................................................18

 15. August 1940–January 2005...............................................................................................19

 16. August 1940–April 2005.....................................................................................................20

 17. August 1940–July 2005......................................................................................................21

 18. August 1940–October 2005...............................................................................................22

 19. August 1940–January 2006...............................................................................................23
iv

 20. August 1940–October 1992...............................................................................................24 

 21. January 2003–January 2006 .............................................................................................25

 22. October 1992–January 2006............................................................................................26

 23. January 1993–January 2006.............................................................................................27

Table

 1. Storage-volume changes in Equus Beds aquifer near Wichita, south-central Kansas, 

August 1940–January 2006........................................................................................................30 

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Volume

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3)

Flow rate

acre-foot per year (acre-ft/yr) 1,233 cubic meter per year (m3/yr)

inch per year (in/yr) 25.4 millimeter per year (mm/yr)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees 

Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32.

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees 

Celsius (°C) as follows:

°C=(°F-32)/1.8.

Prior to April 2000, vertical coordinate information is referenced to 

the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29). For April 

2000 and after, vertical coordinate information is referenced to the 

North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). NAVD 88 vertical 

coordinates are about 0.5 ft higher than NGVD vertical coordinates in 

the part of south-central Kansas discussed in this report.

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American 

Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical 

datum.

Conversion Factors, Abbreviations, and Datums
Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage 

Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near 

Wichita, Kansas, January 2003–January 2006

By Cristi V. Hansen

Abstract

The Equus Beds aquifer northwest of Wichita, Kansas, 

was developed to supply water to Wichita residents and for 

irrigation in south-central Kansas. Ground-water pumping for 

city and agricultural use from the aquifer caused water levels 

to decline in a large part of the aquifer northwest of Wichita. 

Irrigation pumpage in the area increased substantially during 

the 1970s and 1980s and accelerated water-level declines. A 

period of water-level rises associated with greater-than-average precipitation and decreased city pumpage from the area 

began in 1993. An important factor in the decreased city 

pumpage was increased use of Cheney Reservoir as a watersupply source by the city of Wichita; as a result, city pumpage 

from the Equus Beds aquifer during 1993–2005 decreased 

to quantities similar to those pumped in the 1940s and went 

from being about 60 percent to about 40 percent of Wichita’s 

water usage. Since 1995, the city also has been investigating 

the use of artificial recharge in the study area to meet future 

water-supply needs and to protect the aquifer from the intrusion of saltwater from sources to the west.

During January 2006, the direction of ground-water flow 

in the Equus Beds aquifer in the area was generally from west 

to east, similar to the direction prior to development of the 

aquifer. Water-level changes since 1940 for the period January 

2003–January 2006 ranged from a decline of more than 

36 feet to a rise of more than 2 feet. Almost all wells in the 

area had small cumulative water-level rises from January 

2003 to January 2006 and larger rises from October 1992 

(period of maximum storage loss) to January 2006. The 

water-level rises from October 1992 to January 2006 probably are due principally to decreases in city pumpage, with 

increases in recharge due to increased precipitation during the 

period also a contributing factor. Irrigation pumpage increased 

during the period, so irrigation did not contribute to the rises 

in water levels between the beginning and end of the period. 

The storage volume change from October 1992 to January 

2006 represents a recovery of about 55 percent of the storage 

volume previously lost between August 1940 and October 

1992. 

Introduction

The Wichita well field in the Equus Beds aquifer in 

southwestern Harvey County and northwestern Sedgwick 

County was developed to supply water to residents of Wichita 

and for irrigation in the study area in south-central Kansas 

(fig. 1). On September 1, 1940, Wichita began pumping from 

25 wells completed in the aquifer in the central part of the 

study area (Stramel, 1956) (the central part of the study area is 

identified in fig. 1), and by 1959, there were 55 wells in use by 

the city of Wichita (Stramel, 1967). Ground-water pumpage 

from the aquifer for city and agricultural use has caused water 

levels to decline in a large part of the study area. A substantial 

decline in water levels occurred from 1940 until the drought 

of the 1950s ended in early 1957 (Stramel, 1967). In 1965, 

the city of Wichita began using water from Cheney Reservoir 

(Stramel, 1967) in addition to water from the Equus Beds 

aquifer and thus reduced the amount of water that would have 

been pumped from the Equus Beds aquifer. Ground-water 

pumpage for irrigation in the study area increased substantially during the 1970s and 1980s and accelerated water-level 

declines (Spinazola and others, 1985; Myers and others, 1996; 

Aucott and Myers, 1998). Most of the water-level declines 

can be attributed to ground-water pumpage; however, climatic 

conditions (and thus recharge to the Equus Beds aquifer) also 

have affected water levels.

The Equus Beds Groundwater Management District 

No. 2 (GMD2) was formed in 1975 as part of the effort to balance the factors affecting water levels in the Equus Beds aquifer, to efficiently manage and optimize the use of water from 

the aquifer, and to preserve the aquifer for future generations. 

GMD2 has developed a management program that is based 

on the “aquifer safe yield principle.” The aquifer safe yield 

principle limits the annual amount of ground-water pumpage 

to the annual amount of ground-water recharge as noted in the 

management program of GMD2 (Equus Beds Groundwater 

Management District No. 2, 1995).

Since 1995, the city of Wichita, in cooperation with the 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has been investigating the 

potential for using artificial ground-water recharge in the 
study area to meet future water-supply needs and to protect 

the aquifer from the intrusion of saltwater from natural and 

human-related sources to the west (Warren and others, 1995). 

Other entities involved with this effort include GMD2 (Halstead, Kansas), Bureau of Reclamation (U.S. Department of 

the Interior), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, various 

Kansas State agencies, Burns and McDonnell Engineering 

Consultants (Kansas City, Missouri), and Mid-Kansas Engineering Consultants (Wichita, Kansas). 

The social and economic importance of ground-water 

resources and the potential changes that artificial recharge may 

bring to the aquifer prompted a cooperative study between the 

USGS and the city of Wichita. The study documented changes 

in historical hydrologic and water-quality conditions and the 

probable causes of these changes in the study area, developed 

a baseline condition for evaluating the effects of artificial 

recharge on ground-water levels in the aquifer, and reviewed 

changes in the ground-water flow system.

   Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

Study area

SW

SW NE

NE

0 2 4 6 8 10 MILES

0 2 4 6 8 10 KILOMETERS

37°45'

38°

38°15'

97°45' 30' 97°15'

Arkansas

River

Kisiwa

River

Arkansas

Little

West

East

Emma 

Emma

Creek

Sand 

Creek

Creek

Creek

RICECOUNT

Y

RENO

COUNTY

MARION

COUNTY

MCPHERSON

COUNTY

Approximate 

extent of High

Plains aquifer

in Kansas

SEDGWICK

COUNTY

HARVEY

Hesston COUNTY

Newton

Bentley

Hutchinson

Alta

Mills

Emma

Creek

Halstead

Index map

Cheney

Reservoir

North Fork

Ninnescah River

KANSAS

Approximate boundary of 

Equus Beds aquifer

(from Ross, 1991; Juracek

and Hansen, 1995)

Andale

Valley

Center

Sedgwick

Wichita

Burrton

Halstead

recharge

site

Sedgwick

recharge Central part site

of study area

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Lambert Conformal Conic Projection

Standard parallels 33° and 45°, central meridian 98°15'

Trace of section—Shown in figure 3

U.S. Geological Survey gaging station and number

EXPLANATION

Cow

Creek

KINGMAN

COUNTY

Patterson

Mount

Hope

07143665

07143672

07144100

07144200

07143375

07143375

07143330

Figure 1. Location of study 

area near Wichita, southcentral Kansas (modified from 

Aucott and Myers, 1998).
The USGS and the city of Wichita have worked cooperatively since 1940 in evaluating the Equus Beds aquifer and its 

interaction with streams in the area to further the understanding of the entire hydrologic system and to provide information 

to aid local decisionmaking. The understanding gained from 

this cooperative study of the hydrologic system and the Equus

Beds aquifer helps contribute to the wise management of water 

resources where similar hydrologic conditions exist elsewhere. 

This report is prepared in cooperation with the city of Wichita.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this report is to describe ground-waterlevel and storage-volume changes in the Equus Beds aquifer 

northwest of Wichita during January 2003 to January 2006 as 

compared with predevelopment (1940) ground-water levels 

and to update historical information related to changes in 

the aquifer storage since 1940. Maps of ground-water-level 

measurements and water-level changes are presented. Two 

hydrographs of ground-water levels were selected to show 

historical water-level variations. Historical water-use and 

climate information also are presented. Information in this 

report can be used to document and improve understanding of 

the effects of climate, water-use, and water-resource management practices on water supplies in the Equus Beds aquifer, 

an important source of water for the city of Wichita and the 

surrounding area.

Methods

Extensive information is available to describe hydrologic conditions in the study area. Water-level data have 

been collected periodically from more than 100 wells by city 

of Wichita personnel using standard water-level measurement techniques that are similar to USGS methods described 

in Stallman (1971). Data collection began just prior to the 

beginning of city pumpage from the aquifer in the study area 

in 1940; water levels in most wells have been measured at 

least quarterly. These data are on file in paper and electronic 

form with the city of Wichita Water and Sewer Department in 

Wichita, Kansas, and are stored by the USGS in the National 

Water Information System (NWIS) database and are available 

at the following URL: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ks/nwis

During 2001 and 2002, 38 pairs of areal index wells in 

and near the study area were installed by Burns and McDonnell Engineering Consultants and Clarke Well Equipment, 

Incorporated (Great Bend, Kansas) for the city of Wichita. 

Each pair of areal index wells consists of a well completed in 

the upper part of the aquifer and another well completed in 

the lower part of the aquifer. These wells were designed for 

use by the city to monitor the water quality and water levels 

in the aquifer throughout the study area and any changes that 

might occur as a result of the planned artificial recharge project. These wells also were used to determine if there are any 

water-quality differences between the shallow and deep parts 

of the aquifer (Andrew Ziegler, U.S. Geological Survey, oral 

commun., September 2003). As water levels also can be measured in these wells, the wells were added to the water-level 

monitoring network in the study area in 2002. Water levels 

in these index wells are measured quarterly by GMD2 and 

occasionally by the USGS; all index well water-level measurements used in this report were measured by GMD2. The data 

collected by the USGS are stored in the NWIS database and 

are available at the following URL: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/

ks/nwis The data collected by GMD2 are stored in the Kansas 

Geological Survey’s (KGS’s) Water Information Storage and 

Retrieval Database (WIZARD) and are available at the following URL: http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Magellan/WaterLevels/index.

html

Description of Study Area

The study area (fig. 1) includes about 165 mi2 and is 

located in Harvey and Sedgwick Counties northwest of Wichita, Kansas. The study area is in the Arkansas River section 

of the Central Lowlands physiographic province (Schoewe, 

1949). There is little topographic relief in the study area. For 

the most part, the land surface slopes gently toward the major 

streams in the study area. The study area is bounded on the 

southwest by the Arkansas River and on the northeast by the 

Little Arkansas River. The central part of the study area 

(fig. 1), which is referred to throughout the report, is the 

historic center of pumping in the study area and includes wells 

that supply water to the city of Wichita and for irrigation.

South-central Kansas has a continental climate that is 

characterized by large variations in seasonal temperatures, 

moderate precipitation, and windy conditions. In Wichita, 

Kansas, long-term daily average temperatures for 1971–2000 

ranged from 30.2 °F in January to 81.0 °F in July (National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2002b). The longterm annual average precipitation for 1940–2005 at weather 

stations near the study area (at Halstead, Hutchinson, Mount 

Hope, Newton, Sedgwick, and Wichita) is 31.35 in. (National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1998–2005b,) 

(fig. 2A). Precipitation was equal to or greater than the longterm annual average during 2003 through 2005.

Previous Studies

Water-level data have been collected periodically by the 

city of Wichita in the study area since 1940 and are on file 

with the city and the USGS in Wichita and Lawrence, Kansas, respectively. Water-level data also have been collected by 

GMD2 since 1978 from wells completed in the Equus Beds 

aquifer (Equus Beds Groundwater Management District 

No. 2, 1995). Annual water-level data for the High Plains 

aquifer (fig. 1), which includes the Equus Beds aquifer, have 

been collected since 1937 by the Kansas Department of Agriculture (Division of Water Resources), USGS, and KGS. The 

data on file with the USGS in Lawrence, Kansas, are stored in 

Introduction   
 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

Precipitation, in inches per year

A. Precipitation

Average annual

precipitation 5-year moving

average

Long-term annual average, 1940−2005

(average for weather stations at Halstead,

Hutchinson, Mount Hope, Newton,

Sedgwick, and Wichita)

80,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

Water use, in acre-feet per year

B. Water use for agricultural irrigation and by city of Wichita for public supply

Total city water use

for public supply

City ground-water use

for public supply 

Permitted ground-water use for 

agricultural irrigation in study area 

City surface-water use from

Cheney Reservoir for public

supply Estimated ground-water use for agricultural irrigation

193819401950196019701980199020002006

1,350

1,480

1,360

1,370

1,380

1,390

1,400

1,410

1,420

1,430

1,440

1,450

1,460

1,470

Water-level altitude, in feet above vertical datum (NAVD 88)

600

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

Storage-volume change, in thousands of acre-feet

C. Water-level altitudes in observation wells 104 and 886 and Equus Beds aquifer 

 storage-volume change in study area

1940−57 period 1958−77 period 1978−92 period 1993−2005 period

Storage-volume change

Water-level altitude in well 104

Water-level altitude in well 886

Figure 2. Relation of (A) precipitation, (B) water use for agricultural irrigation and by city of Wichita for public supply, and (C) water-level 

altitudes in observation wells 104 and 886 and Equus Beds aquifer storage-volume change in study area, 1938–January 2006 (modified 

from Aucott and others, 1998). Source: (A) precipitation data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1998–2005b); (B) 

water-use data from Stramel (1956, 1967), Gerald T. Blain (city of Wichita, written commun., 2000), Joan Kenny (U.S. Geological Survey, 

written commun., 2000, 2003, and 2006), Brownie Wilson (Kansas Water Office, written commun., 2000), and Kelly Emmons (Kansas 

Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources, written commun., 2003 and 2006); (C) water-level altitude data from Stramel 

(1956, 1967) and from data collected by city of Wichita, Equus Beds Groundwater Management District No. 2, and on file with U.S. 

Geological Survey, Lawrence, Kansas. Location of observation wells is shown in figure 5. Storage-volume changes from Stramel (1956, 

1967), Aucott and Myers (1998), Aucott and others (1998), Hansen and Aucott (2001, 2004), and data on file with U.S. Geological Survey in 

Lawrence, Kansas.
the USGS NWIS database and are available at http://water

data.usgs.gov/ks/nwis/gw; data on file with the KGS are stored 

in their WIZARD database (Kansas Geological Survey, 2002). 

Historical and near-real-time data and reports associated with 

the Equus Beds Ground-Water Demonstration Recharge Project (Ziegler and others, 1999) are available at http://ks.water.

usgs.gov/Kansas/studies/equus/

Williams and Lohman (1949), Stramel (1956, 1967), 

Lane and Miller (1965a), and Leonard and Kleinschmidt 

(1976) have published water levels and water-level decline 

maps for the study area; Williams and Lohman (1949) and 

Stramel (1956) also published water-level altitude maps for 

the study area. Ross and others (1997) noted water-level rises 

in the Equus Beds aquifer from 1993 to 1997 and attributed them largely to decreases in withdrawals by the city of 

Wichita. Aucott and Myers (1998), Aucott and others (1998), 

and Hansen and Aucott (2001, 2004) published water-leveldecline maps for the study area and discussed the changes 

in storage volume for noteworthy past and recent periods 

of time. Myers and others (1996) evaluated the hydrologic 

interaction between the Arkansas River and the Equus Beds 

aquifer in the study area. Water-level data for the Equus Beds 

and High Plains aquifers have been compiled and mapped 

recently in Kansas by Bohling and Wilson (2004, 2005, and 

2006), Laflen and Miller (2003, 2004, and 2005), Mitchell and 

others (1993 and 1994), Olea and Davis (2003), Woods and 

others (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000), Woods and 

Schloss (1996), and Woods and Sophocleous (2002 and 2004) 

and regionally by McGuire and Sharpe (1997), McGuire and 

Fischer (1999), McGuire (2001, 2003, 2004a, 2004b), and 

McGuire and others (2003).

Geology and Ground Water

Quaternary deposits occur throughout the study area 

primarily as alluvial deposits. These alluvial deposits, known 

locally as the Equus beds, are as much as 250 ft thick in the 

study area (fig. 3). The Equus beds consist primarily of sand 

and gravel interbedded with clay or silt but locally may consist 

primarily of clay with thin sand and gravel layers (Lane and 

Miller, 1965a; Myers and others, 1996). The middle part of 

the deposits generally has more fine-grained material than the 

lower and upper parts (Lane and Miller, 1965b; Myers and 

others, 1996).

The Wellington Formation of Permian age underlies the 

Quaternary deposits in the study area and forms the bedrock 

confining unit below these deposits. The Wellington Formation is about 700 ft thick (Bayne, 1956) and consists of three 

members—the lower anhydrite member, about 200 ft thick; 

the Hutchinson Salt Member, about 300 ft thick; and the upper 

shale member, about 200 ft thick (Myers and others, 1996). 

Dissolution of the Hutchinson Salt Member resulted in subsidence of the overlying upper shale member, formation of low 

areas in the bedrock, and concurrent accumulation of alluvial 

Geology and Ground Water 

Confining unit

0 1 2 3 4 5 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 5 KILOMETERS

VERTICAL SCALE GREATLY EXAGGERATED

DATUM IS NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929

Trace of section shown in figure 1

1,700

1,600

1,500

1,400

1,300

1,200

1,100

1,000

900

800

700

600

1,700

1,600

1,500

1,400

1,300

1,200

1,100

1,000

900

800

700

600

Arkansas River

Little Arkansas River

Quaternary deposits Projected pre-dissolution

top of Hutchinson Salt 

Member

Bedrock surface

Projected pre-dissolution

top of lower anhydrite member

of Wellington Formation

Lower anhydrite member

of Wellington Formation

Upper shale

member of

Wellington

Formation

Hutchinson 

Salt Member of 

Wellington Formation

FEET FEET

SW NE

Equus Beds aquifer

Figure 3. Generalized geologic section (from Leonard and Kleinschmidt, 1976; Myers and others, 1996).
deposits that now compose the Equus Beds aquifer (fig. 3) 

(Myers and others, 1996).

The Equus Beds aquifer is the easternmost extension of 

the High Plains aquifer in Kansas (Stulken and others, 1985; 

Hansen and Aucott, 2001). The Equus beds are an important 

source of ground water because of the generally shallow depth 

to the water table, the large saturated thickness, and generally 

good water quality. Near the Arkansas River, the water table 

may be as little as 10 ft below land surface. Farther from the 

Arkansas River and near the Little Arkansas River, the water 

table is at a greater depth, depending on the altitude of the land 

surface and the amount of water-level decline that has been 

caused by ground-water withdrawals. The maximum saturated 

thickness of the Equus Beds aquifer within the study area, 

almost 250 ft, is near the Arkansas River and corresponds to 

the lowest areas of the underlying bedrock surface (Spinazola 

and others, 1985). Assuming the Equus Beds aquifer in the 

study area is an average of 100 ft thick and about 20 percent 

of the aquifer volume stores water available for use, then the 

estimated storage volume in the study area is about 

2,100,000 acre-ft.

Ground-Water-Level Changes

Ground-water-level declines can result from a combination of factors—pumpage, decreased recharge resulting from 

less-than-average precipitation, and other factors. Droughts, 

such as occurred during 1952–56 and 1988–92 (fig. 2A), tend 

to decrease the amount of recharge available and increase 

demand for and thus pumpage of ground water (fig. 2B), 

resulting in increased water-level declines (fig. 2C). Periods 

of greater-than-average rainfall, such as occurred in 1957–62 

(fig. 2A), tend to increase the amount of recharge available and 

decrease the demand for and thus pumpage of ground water 

(fig. 2B), resulting in water-level rises (fig. 2C). If the waterlevel declines or rises are large enough, they may alter locally 

the direction of ground-water flow.

Description of noteworthy periods of water-level change 

in the study area is facilitated by the use of hydrographs of 

water levels in observation wells 104 and 886 (fig. 2C; see 

figure 5 later in this section). The hydrograph of well 104 

serves as a representative descriptor of agricultural irrigation 

effects near the northern edge of the study area; the hydrograph of well 886 serves as a representative descriptor of 

historical water-level changes in an area of maximum waterlevel decline near the historic center of pumping by the city of 

Wichita in the central part of the study area. 

Aucott and Myers (1998) identified four noteworthy 

periods of water-level change (fig. 2C): 1940–57, the initial 

water-level decline period when pumpage began in the study 

area, which includes a phase of accelerated declines in the 

mid-1950s coinciding with drought conditions; 1958–77, 

a period of general equilibrium with relatively stable city 

pumpage and water levels and increasing irrigation pumpage 

that became significant in the late 1970s; 1978–92, another 

period of water-level declines and increased city and irrigation 

pumpage due to increased demands and drought conditions; 

and 1993–98, a period of water-level rises associated with 

generally greater-than-average precipitation and decreased city 

pumpage. The first three periods have been well documented 

by Aucott and Myers (1998) and will not be described in this 

report. The fourth period—the period of water-level rises seen 

by Aucott and Myers (1998) during 1993–98—was noted by 

Hansen and Aucott (2004) as continuing through April 2000 

and possibly to January 2003 when the last reporting period 

ended. Despite a slight water-level decline during 2001–03, 

water levels in wells in the study area (for example, wells 104 

and 886 in figure 2C) have remained relatively high, indicating 

this period of water-level rises that began in 1993 continued 

through the current reporting period (January 2003 to January 

2006).

The consistently large seasonal water-level variations in 

well 104 probably are due to agricultural irrigation pumpage. 

Irrigation water-use amounts prior to 1989 are not plotted in 

figure 2B because of incomplete reporting of water-use data 

before 1989 (Lane Letourneau, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources, oral commun., August 

2, 2002). Estimated water use for agricultural irrigation in the 

study area in 2005 was about two-thirds of what is permitted 

by the State of Kansas (Kelly Emmons, Kansas Department of 

Agriculture, Division of Water Resources, written commun., 

August 21, 2006) (fig. 2B); thus, increased irrigation water 

use in the study area could become a more significant factor, 

especially during future dry years.

The use of ground-water hydrographs along with the use 

of maps of water-level altitudes and of water-level changes and 

the use of tables and graphs of changes in storage volume can 

provide a more complete picture of changes in hydrologic conditions than the use of any one of these graphic tools. Hydrographs of individual wells are important for indicating changes 

over time at a specific point and can be used to infer the effects 

of water-level changes at that point. Such effects could include 

dewatered shallow wells or increased pumping costs to lift 

water from greater depths. Water-level-altitude maps show the 

gradient and direction of ground-water flow over a large area 

at a particular time. A single water-level-altitude map cannot 

indicate location or extent of the areas affected by waterlevel declines or rises or how great these declines or rises are. 

However, water-level-change maps can be used to illustrate 

the location, extent, and magnitude of water-level declines and 

rises. Tables and graphs showing changes in storage volume, 

which are derived from water-level-change maps and represent 

a decrease (or increase) in the ground-water resource available 

for use, are a good measure of the cumulative effects of pumping and climatic conditions on the aquifer.

To illustrate water-level conditions for selected periods, 

previously published water-level-altitude maps for August 

1940 (Stramel, 1956; Aucott and Myers, 1998) and October 

1992 (Hansen and Aucott, 2001) were used in addition to the 

water-level-altitude map for January 2006 that was constructed 

   Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas
for this report (figs. 4, 5, and 6). Available water-level data 

from wells in the study area and surface-water data from gaging stations in and near the study area were used to construct 

the water-level-altitude map for January 2006 (fig. 6). In addition to ground-water-level measurements from historic Equus

beds observation wells, figure 6 also includes water-level-altitude measurements from the selected areal index wells. For 

mapping purposes, the water levels from the shallow well at 

the site of each pair of areal index wells were used, except at 

the three most northwesterly pairs of areal index well sites in 

T. 23 S., R. 3 W.; water levels from the deep wells in these 

three pairs were used instead because they best represent the 

part of the aquifer open to the historic observation wells in 

this part of the study area. The selection of the wells used for 

mapping purposes from each of the 38 pairs of areal index 

wells was previously described in Hansen and Aucott (2004). 

Average daily surface-water-altitude measurements computed for January 25, 2006, from data automatically collected 

by equipment at USGS gaging stations (stations 07143330, 

07143375, 07143665, 07143672, 07144100, and 07144200) on 

the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers in and near the study 

area (fig. 1) were used to estimate the surface-water altitude 

along these streams as depicted in figure 6. The average daily 

surface-water altitudes for January 25, 2006, are shown at 

the three gaging stations on the Little Arkansas River that are 

in the study area (fig. 6); no gaging stations on the Arkansas 

River are in the study area (fig. 1). January 25, 2006, was chosen for the surface-water altitudes shown in figure 6 because it 

is the midpoint point of the period during which ground-water 

levels used for this figure were measured. 

Figures 4, 5, and 6, respectively, illustrate conditions 

during predevelopment (August 1940), record low water levels 

in October 1992, and current (January 2006) conditions. Prior 

to pumpage from the Equus Beds aquifer in 1940, near-predevelopment conditions existed in the study area (Williams and 

Lohman, 1949; Aucott and Myers, 1998). The August 1940 

water-level-altitude map from Stramel (1956) that was modified by Aucott and Myers (1998) (fig. 4) shows that ground 

water flowed generally from west to east and discharged to the 

Little Arkansas River. Water-level-altitude maps for August 

1940 and January 1955 (Stramel, 1956); for January 1957, 

January 1970, January 1993, and January 1998 (Aucott and 

Myers, 1998); for January 1997 (Aucott and others, 1998); for 

October 1992 and January 2000 (Hansen and Aucott, 2001); 

for April 2000 and January 2003 (Hansen and Aucott, 2004); 

and January 2006 (fig. 6) indicate that, following development, ground-water flow remained from west to east, but 

that between the central part of the study area and the Little 

Arkansas River and in the vicinity of Halstead and Sedgwick, 

the flow generally became more southerly and more parallel to 

the river. 

Water-level change maps were constructed from available 

water-level data to show changes between August 1940 (predevelopment) and quarter-year intervals from January 2003 to 

January 2006 (figs. 7–19), between August 1940 and October 1992 (fig. 20), between January 2003 and January 2006 

(fig. 21), between October 1992 and January 2006 (fig. 22), 

and between January 1993 and January 2006 (fig. 23). The 

August 1940 to October 1992 period (fig. 20) was selected as 

representative of the cumulative change between predevelopment and the period of maximum water-level decline (Hansen 

and Aucott, 2001). The January 2003 to January 2006 and 

the October 1992 to January 2006 periods (figs. 21 and 22, 

respectively) were selected as representative, respectively, of 

the cumulative change since the last report on water levels 

in the area (Hansen and Aucott, 2004) and of the cumulative 

change since the period of maximum water-level decline (Hansen and Aucott, 2001). Because January-to-January measurements can be used to minimize the effect of seasonal factors 

on water-level changes for year-to-year comparisons, a map 

of water-level changes for the period January 1993 to January 

2006 (fig. 23) was included as an alternate representation of 

the cumulative changes since the period of maximum waterlevel decline.

In constructing figures 7–20 and similar maps in recent 

reports showing water-level changes since August 1940 

(Aucott and Myers, 1998; Aucott and others, 1998; Hansen 

and Aucott, 2001, 2004), if a 1940 water-level measurement 

did not exist for a well in the study area, one was interpolated 

from the August 1940 water-level-altitude map (fig. 4). Starting in April 2005, quarter-year-interval water-level-change 

maps were constructed without using the 12 Equus beds 

historic observation wells that are near Equus beds areal index 

wells. During the preceding 3 years, water-level differences 

that ranged from -17.58 to 7.25 ft were observed between 

these 12 historic observation wells and the nearby areal index 

wells. Most of these observed water-level differences may be 

due to the variability of the aquifer material over short vertical 

and horizontal distances or to differences in well construction. For figures 21–23, a water level was used for the waterlevel-change map for a selected period only if the measured 

water level was used for quarter-year-interval maps for both 

dates. For example, the Equus beds areal index wells were not 

used for figure 22 because none of the wells had water-level 

measurements before 2002 and, therefore, did not have water 

levels for the beginning date of this map. Also, except for well 

886, the Equus beds historic observation wells near Equus

beds areal index wells are not shown in figures 21–23 because 

their post-January 2005 water-level measurements were not 

used to construct quarter-year-interval water-level-change 

maps for periods ending after January 2005. 

Quarter-Year Intervals, 2003 to 2006 

The water-level changes since August 1940 for the period 

January 2003 to January 2006 (figs. 7–19) ranged from a 

decline of more than 36 ft in a well about 1 mi northwest of 

well 886 near the center of the study area in July 2004 

(fig. 13) to a rise of more than 2 ft in April 2005 at a well near 

the northern edge of the study area (fig. 16). The shapes of the 

water-level-change contours since August 1940 for the period 

Ground-Water-Level Changes 
 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

1,410

1,405

1,400

1,395 1,390

1,385

1,380

1,375

1,370

1,365

1,360

1,355

1,350

1,340

1,335

1,345

1,415

1,425

1,420

1,430

1,435

1,440

1,410

1,405

1,400

1,395

1,390

1,385

1,380

1,375

1,370

1,365

1,360

1,355

1,350

1,415

1,425

1,420

1,430

1,435

1,440

1,375

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

886

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

Study area

Water-level contour—Shows altitude of water 

 level, August 1940. Dashed where approximately 

 located. Contour interval 5 feet. Datum is National

 Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929

Approximate direction of ground-water flow

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

EXPLANATION

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

Water-level measurements were made by city 

of Wichita personnel.

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

886

Figure 4. Water-level altitudes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940 (modified from Stramel, 1956; Aucott and Myers, 1998).
Ground-Water-Level Changes 

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle

Emma

Creek

Creek

Arkansas

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

1,440

1,435

1,430

1,425

1,420

1,415

1,410

1,405

1,400

1,395

1,390

1,380

1,385

1,385

1,380

1,375

1,370

1,365

1,360

1,355

1,350

1,345

1,340

1,350

1,345

1,330

1,355

1,355

1,360

1,365

1,370

1,375

1,380

1,395

1,41

1,405

1,400

0

1,415

1,420

1,425

1,430

1,435

1,440

1,390

1,335

1,445

886

104

 

Low-head dam 

on Little Arkansas 

River at Halstead

(approximate altitude 

is 1,375 feet at top

of dam)

886

Study area

Water-level contour—Shows altitude of water 

 level, October 1992. Dashed where approximately 

 located. Contour interval 5 feet. Datum is National

 Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929

Approximate direction of ground-water flow

U.S. Geological Survey gaging station

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

EXPLANATION

Water-level measurements were made by city 

of Wichita personnel.

1,375

Figure 5. Water-level altitudes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, October 1992 (modified from Hansen and Aucott, 2001).
10 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

63

886

104

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

Study area

Water-level contour—Shows altitude of water 

 level, January 2006. Dashed where approximately 

 located. Contour interval 5 feet. Datum is North

 American Vertical Datum of 1988

Approximate direction of ground-water flow

U.S. Geological Survey gaging station

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

EXPLANATION

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

1,405 886

Water-level measurements in wells were made by city of

Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater Management 

District No. 2 personnel. Water-level measurements at 

gaging stations were collected by U.S. Geological Survey.

#

#

1,445

1,385

1,385

1,345

1,380

1,365

1,350

1,340

1,370

1,355

1,335

1,360

1,395

1,420

1,390

1,410

1,405

1,415

1,435

1,440

1,43

1,425

0

1,375

1,435

1,430

1,385

1,395

1,380

1,390

1,400

1,405

1,410

1,415

1,425

1,420

1,375

1,370

1,370

1,365

1,365

1,360

1,355

1,350

1,345

1,340 1,335

1,400

1,330

Bentley

Arkansas

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Figure 6. Water-level altitudes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, January 2006.
Ground-Water-Level Changes 11

104

886

104

East

Emma

Creek

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Kisiwa

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Emma

West

Creek

Creek

Creek

Sand

Mount Arkansas

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Little

Creek

EXPLANATION

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

38°

37°52'30"

97°37'30" 30' 97°22'30"

-10

0

-4

-4

-6

-6

-8

-8

-10

-10

-12

-12

-12

-14

-2

-14

-14

-16

-16

-16

-14

-16

-18

-18

-18

-20

-22

-18

-20

-4

-2

0

0

-2

Middle Emma Creek

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and January 2003

was 159,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

Figure 7. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–January 2003 (modified from Hansen and Aucott, 

2004)
12 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas East

Emma

Creek

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Kisiwa

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

Emma

Emma

West

Creek

Creek Creek

Sand

Mount Arkansas

Hope

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

Little

Creek

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

38°

37°52'30"

97°37'30" 30' 97°22'30"

-2

-4

-4

-20

-22 

-20

-12

-14

-14

-16

-18

-18

-18

-16

-16

-16

-14

-12

-10

-4

-6

-6

-6

-6

-8

-8

-8

-4

0

-10

0

-2

-10

-24

-22

-14

-12

-10

SEDGWICK COUNTY

-2

0

-2

0

River

Middle Emma Creek

Patterson

104

886

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and April 2003

was 153,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

Figure 8. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–April 2003.
Ground-Water-Level Changes 13

Figure 9. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–July 2003.

East

Emma

Creek

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Kisiwa

Little

Arkansas

River

River

Emma

Emma

West

Creek

Creek

Creek

Sand

Mount Arkansas

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Little

Creek

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

38o

37o52'30"

97o37'30" 30' 97o22'30"

0

-2

-2

-2

-2

0

-8

-6

-6

-4

-8

-4

-10

-10

-12

-12

-16

-14

-14

-18

-16

-2

-20

2

-24

-26

-28

-30

-20

-22

-8

-26

-20

-24

-18

-16

-18

-18

-24

-28

0

River Arkansas

Middle Emma Creek

104

886

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

30 and 40 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and July 2003

was 197,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well
14  Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

Figure 10. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–October 2003.

East

Emma

Creek

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Kisiwa

Little

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Emma

West

Creek

Creek

Creek

Sand

Mount Arkansas

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Little

Creek

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

38o

37°52'30"

97°37'30" 30' 97°22'30"

0

0

0

-2

-2

-2

-6

-6

-4

-8

-8

-10

-10

-10

-14

-14

-16

-12

-12

-18 -20

-22

-24

-20

-18

-16

-16

-16

-22

-16

-20

-12

-14

-14

-26

-4

Arkansas

Middle Emma Creek

104

886

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and October 2003

was 186,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well
Ground-Water-Level Changes 15

Figure 11. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–January 2004.

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle

Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

-12

-20

-14

-18

886

104

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

30 and 40 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and January 2004

was 170,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

0

0

-8 -6

-4

-4

-6

-8

-8 -6

-10

-10

-2

-2

-10

-16

-14

-14

-16

-12

-12

-20

-22

-26

-28

-12

-18

-4

-14 -16

-2

-2

0

0

-2 -4 -6

-24

-30

-22

-24

-20

-12

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

River
16 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and April 2004

was 147,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

-20

886

104

0

0

-4

-6

-8

-8

-10

-10

-10

-2

-14

-14

-14

-16

-16

-16

-12

-12

-12

-12

-20

-20

-12

-18

-18

-26

-22

-24

-2

-4

-6

-8

0

-4 -6

-2

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

River

Figure 12. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–April 2004.
Ground-Water-Level Changes 17

Figure 13. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–July 2004.

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle

Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

30 and 40 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and July 2004

was 166,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

104

886

0

0

0

-4

-4

-4

-6

-6

-6

-8

-8

-8

-10

-10

-10

-2

-2

-2

-14

-14

-14

-16

-16

-16

-12

-12

-12

-18

-18

-18

-20

-22

-24 -26 -30

-32

-34

-36

-28

-18

-20

-18

-16

-14

-16

-18

-18

-18

-18

-20

-20

-22

-24

-20

-22

-24

River

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY
18  Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and October 2004

was 158,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

0

0

-4

-6

-8

-8

-10

-10

-10

-10

-2

-14

-14

-14

-16

-16

-16

-12

-12

-12

-20

-20

-20

-12

-18

-18

-18

-18

-22

-22

-24

-2

-4

-6

-8

0

-6-4

-2

886

104

River

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Figure 14. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–October 2004.
Ground-Water-Level Changes 19

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and January 2005

was 143,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

0

0

-4

-6

-8

-8

-8

-10

-10

-10

-2

-14

-14

-14

-16

-8

-2

-18 -14

-16

-16

-16 -12

-12

-12

-20

-18

-16

-14

-18

-18

-2

-4

-6

-8

0

-4

-6

-2

886

104

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

River

Figure 15. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–January 2005.
20 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West

Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle

Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and April 2005

was 131,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

0

0

0

-4

-6

-8

-8 -8

-10

-10

-10

-10

-2

+2

-14 -14

-14

-16

-16

-16

-16

-12

-12

-12

-20

-22

-18

-14

-16

-18

-2

-4

-6

-8

0

-4

-6

-2

886

104

\\Sps1dkslwr\home\pubs\report_figs\13_0088hansen\Final figures\figure16.ai

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Figure 16. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–April 2005.
Ground-Water-Level Changes 21

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and July 2005

was 137,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

0

0

0

-4

-6

-8

-8

-10

-10

-10

-2

+2

-14

-14

-14

-14

-14

-14

-16 -16

-16 -18

-20

-16 -18

-20

-22

-16

-16

-12

-12

-12

-12

-18

-14

-20

-24

-20

-22

-20

-18

-2

-2

-4

-4

-6

-8

-8

-8

0

-4 -6

-2

886

104

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Figure 17. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–July 2005.
22 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and October 2005

was 131,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

0

0

0

-4

-4

-6

-6

-8

-8

-10

-10

-10

-10

-2

-2

-14

-14

-16

-16

-16

-18

-20

-22

-16

-12

-12

-12

-14

-24

-20

-18

-20

-22

-18

-2

-2

-2

-4

-6

-8

-8

0

-6

-4 -2

-10

886

104

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Figure 18. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–October 2005.
Ground-Water-Level Changes 23

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-10 Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area

between August 1940 and January 2006

was 127,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

0

0

-4

-4

-6

-6

-8

-8

-10

-10

-10

-2

-2

-14

-14

-14

-16

-16-18

-18

-16

-12

-12

-12

-14

-2

-2

-4

-6

-8

-8

0

-6

-4

-2

-10

-18

-10

886

104

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Arkansas

Figure 19. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–January 2006.
24  Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas East

Emma

Creek

T.

25 

S.

T.

24 

S.

T.

23 

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Kisiwa 

Little 

Arkansas 

Arkansas 

River

River 

River 

Emma 

Emma 

West

Creek 

Creek 

Creek 

Sand 

Mount Arkansas 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Little 

Creek

EXPLANATION

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital 

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14 

0 1 2 3 4 MILES 

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS 

97°37'30" 30' 97°22'30"

38° 

37°52'30"

0

-2

-4

-8

-6

0

-10

-12

-14

-16 -18

-22

-24

-28

-20

Study area

Area of water-level declines between:

10 and 20 feet

20 and 30 feet

30 and 40 feet

40 and 50 feet

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

-10

Middle Emma Creek

-26

-30

-28 -26

-24

-22

-20 -18

-16-14-10

-8

-4 -2

-2

-4

-6

-8-10

-12

-16

-20

-22

-26

-28

-24

-1

-14

8

0

-36

-32

-36

-38

-38

-40

-42

-44

-40

-46

-34 -12 -6

-30

104

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita personnel

Depletion of storage volume in study area between August 1940 and October 1992

was 283,000 acre-feet.

886

104

Line of equal water-level change—

 Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located.

-30

-34

-36 -32

Figure 20. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, August 1940–October 1992 (modified from Aucott and 

Hansen, 2001).
Ground-Water-Level Changes 25

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle

Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level recovery between:

0 and +10 feet

Line of equal water-level change—Interval 

 2 feet. Dashed where approximately located. 

 Hachures indicate closed areas where the water- level change is a smaller rise or a larger decline 

 than the surrounding area

+2 Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita and Equus Beds Groundwater

Management District No. 2 personnel

Recovery of storage volume in study area

between January 2003 and January 2006

was 32,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

Equus beds areal index well

886

104

0

0

0

0

0

+2

+2

+2

+2

+2

+2

+2

+2

+2

+2

+4

+4

+4

+4

+4

Figure 21. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, January 2003–January 2006.
26 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount 

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level recovery between:

+10 and +20 feet

+20 and +30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet.

+10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita personnel

Recovery of storage volume in study area

between October 1992 and January 2006

was 156,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

104

0

0

+2

+2

+2

+2

+2

+4

+4

+8

+6

+6

+4

+4

+4

+4

+6

+6

+8

+8

+8

+10

+10

+10

+12

+12

+12

+14

+14

+14

+14

+16

+16

+16

+18

+18

+18

+20

+12

+20

+22

+22

+24

+24

+26

+28

886

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Figure 22. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, October 1992–January 2006.
Ground-Water-Level Changes 27

T.

25

S.

T.

24

S.

T.

23

S.

R. 3 W. R. 2 W. R. 1 W.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital

data, 1:100,000, 1983 

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 14

Kisiwa

Little

Little

Arkansas

Arkansas

River

River

River

Emma

Creek

West

Emma

Creek

Creek

Sand

Creek

Arkansas

63

Mount

Hope

Patterson

Burrton

Bentley

Sedgwick

Halstead

Valley

Center

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

30'

East

Emma

Middle

Emma

Creek

Creek

97°37'30" 97°22'30"

38°

37°52'30"

104

EXPLANATION

Study area

Area of water-level recovery between:

+10 and +20 feet

+20 and +30 feet

Line of equal water-level change— Interval 2 feet. Dashed where 

 approximately located

+10

Water-level measurements were made by

city of Wichita personnel

Recovery of storage volume in study area

between January 1993 and January 2006

was 128,000 acre-feet.

Well hydrograph shown in figure 2

Equus beds historic observation well

104

886

0

0

0

0

0

+2

-2

+2

+2

+2

+4

+4

+6

+4

+6

+6

+8

+8

+8

+10

+10

+10

+12

+12

+12

+14

+14

+14

+16

+16

+16

+16

+16

+18

+18

+18

+20

+22

\\Sps1dkslwr\home\pubs\report_figs\13_0088hansen\Final figures\figure23.ai

HARVEY COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY

Figure 23. Water-level changes in Equus Beds aquifer in study area, January 1993–January 2006.
January 2003 to January 2006 (figs. 7–19) are similar to those 

published for recent years (Aucott and Myers, 1998; Aucott 

and others, 1998; Hansen and Aucott, 2001, 2004). Comparisons of figures 7–19 show the annual cycle of water-level 

declines and rises that generally occur in the study area. Typically, the largest water-level declines occur during the summer or fall when agricultural irrigation and city pumpage are 

greatest. During the period January 2003 to January 2006, this 

is shown most distinctly by the expansion of areas with waterlevel declines of 20 ft or more on the July and October maps 

of water-level changes since August 1940 and the occurrence 

of areas with declines of 30 ft or more on the July 2003 and 

July 2004 maps (figs. 9, 10, 13, 14, 17, and 18). As vegetation 

and human water use decrease following the summer months, 

so does agricultural irrigation and city pumpage, resulting in 

water-level rises that can continue into the following spring. 

The maps of water-level changes since August 1940 for the 

period January 2003 to January 2006 show these water-level 

rises most obviously as the decrease in the size of the areas 

with declines of 20 ft or more in the January and April maps 

and their complete disappearance by January 2006 (figs. 7, 

8, 11, 12, 15, 16, and 19). The complete disappearance of 

declines of 20 ft or more was not seen in other maps of waterlevel changes between August 1940 and quarter-year intervals 

from January 1997 to the present (2006) (Aucott and others, 

1998; Hansen and Aucott, 2001, 2004; and figs. 7–19). This 

would seem to confirm that the post-October 1992 period of 

water-level recovery was continuing in January 2006. 

Cumulative Change, 2003 to 2006

The water-level-change map for the period January 2003 

to January 2006 shows almost all wells in the study area experienced small cumulative water-level rises since the last report 

on water levels in the areas by Hansen and Aucott (2004) 

(fig. 21). Seasonal water-level changes for most wells in the 

study area during January 2003 to January 2006 continued to 

be larger than the cumulative water-level change for the same 

period (for example, see hydrographs of observation wells 

104 and 886 in fig. 2C). Cumulative water-level changes from 

January 2003 to January 2006 ranged from declines of less 

than 2 ft in several small isolated areas in the western and 

southeastern parts of the study area (enclosed by hachured 

lines of zero water-level change in figure 21) to rises of 4 or 

more ft in several places near the center of the study area 

(fig. 21). The cumulative water-level changes from January 

2003 to January 2006 commonly were rises of more than 

2 ft in and near the center of the study area and generally were 

rises of less than 2 ft in the rest of the study area (fig. 21). 

Cumulative Change Since Period of Maximum 

Decline

As pointed out previously by Hansen and Aucott (2001 

and 2004), the maximum recorded decline in the study area 

occurred in October 1992 (fig. 20); therefore, a map for the 

period October 1992 to January 2006 was constructed to 

illustrate the magnitude of cumulative water-level changes 

since the period of maximum decline (fig. 22). The cumulative water-level changes from October 1992 to January 2006 

ranged from a decline of less than 2 ft in T. 24 S., R. 1 W. near 

the Little Arkansas River and in the extreme southeastern part 

of the study area to a rise of more than 28 ft in a well about 

0.5 mi mile northwest of well 886 near the center of the study 

area (fig. 22). Almost all the wells in the study area had cumulative water-level rises from October 1992 to January 2006 

(fig. 22). For this period, a single large area of cumulative 

water-level rises of 10 ft or more occurred throughout most of 

the center of the study area, and two areas with rises of 20 ft 

or more occurred in the northern and center parts of the study 

area (fig. 22). The water-level-change map for the period 

January 1993 to January 2006 (fig. 23), which can be used for 

readers who prefer year-to-year comparisons, shows a similar 

but slightly more subdued pattern of water-level rises than the 

October 1992 to January 2006 map. 

Changes in city and irrigation pumpage and in precipitation should be expected to be the major factors affecting 

recharge and thus changes in aquifer water levels and storage volume. The area with water-level rises of 10 ft or more 

between October 1992 and January 2006 was almost entirely 

within the center of the study area where all city pumpage 

from the Equus Beds aquifer occurred (fig. 22). As a result, 

it would be reasonable to conclude that the reduction in city 

pumpage from the aquifer between October 1992 and January 

2006 (from about 36,900 acre-ft in 1992 to about 23,600 acreft in 2005) (fig. 2B) had a greater effect on increasing recharge 

and thus water-level rises in the aquifer than did increased 

precipitation, which was probably roughly evenly distributed 

throughout the study area during the period. An important 

factor in the decreased city pumpage from the aquifer was 

increased use of Cheney Reservoir by the city of Wichita as a 

water-supply source; as a result, city pumpage from the Equus

Beds aquifer during 1992–2002 was cut almost in half (from 

about 36,900 to 18,600 acre-ft) and decreased from about 60 

to about 30 percent of Wichita’s water usage. City pumpage 

from the aquifer stabilized at about 40 percent of Wichita’s 

usage during 2003–05 and was similar to quantities pumped 

in the late 1940s (fig. 2B). Generally greater-than-average precipitation in the study area between October 1992 and January 

2006 (averaging about 1.84 in. greater during 1992–2005 

than the long-term (1940–2005) annual average precipitation 

of 31.35 in.) (fig. 2A) likely contributed to the increase in 

recharge and the water-level rises of less than 10 ft throughout the study area (fig. 22). For the period October 1992 to 

January 2006, irrigation pumpage actually increased (from 

about 20,100 acre-ft in 1992 to about 29,200 acre-ft in 2005) 

(fig. 2B), so irrigation pumpage did not increase recharge or 

contribute to the observed water-level rises overall during that 

period. Because irrigation pumpage can vary considerably 

from year to year due to climatic variations, reduced irrigation pumpage could contribute to rises in particular years even 

28  Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas
though it did not contribute to the overall rise between October 

1992 and January 2006. A more definitive accounting of the 

causes of these water-level rises would require a ground-water 

flow model. 

Storage-Volume Changes

Changes in storage volume are defined for the purposes 

of this report as the change in saturated aquifer volume multiplied by the specific yield of the aquifer. A specific yield of 

0.2 has been used to compute the changes in storage volume 

in the Equus Beds aquifer since Stramel (1956) first computed 

storage volume for the aquifer. The use of a specific yield of 

0.2 was retained in this report because, as reported by Hansen 

and Aucott (2001), it is within the range of most estimates of 

specific yield and because there is no general agreement on an 

average value of specific yield for the Equus Beds aquifer in 

the study area. 

The changes in storage volume since August 1940 for the 

selected time periods shown in table 1 were computed using 

computer-generated Thiessen polygons (Thiessen, 1911) that 

were based on the measured water-level changes at wells and 

the manually drawn lines of equal water-level change 

(figs. 7–20). Theissen polygons apportion the water-level 

change at each well and at points representing the lines of 

equal water-level change to the area around the wells and 

points. The volume of storage change was computed by summing the area of each Theissen polygon multiplied by the 

actual water-level change value associated with the Theissen 

polygon and then by the specific yield. To determine the storage-volume change since August 1940 in the study area and 

the central part of the study area (table 1), the computation 

was done for the Theissen polygons within the whole study 

area and for those within the central part of the study area, 

respectively.

Changes in storage volume since October 1992, as shown 

in table 1, were calculated as the difference between changes 

in storage volumes for August 1940 to the beginning of the 

selected time period and for August 1940 to the end of the 

selected time period. For example, the change in storage volume for January 2003 to January 2006, as shown in 

table 1, was calculated as the difference between the change 

in storage volume for August 1940 to January 2006 and for 

August 1940 to January 2003. The changes in storage volume since predevelopment (August 1940), since the period 

of maximum decline (October 1992), and since the beginning 

of the current reporting period (January 2003) are shown in 

table 1 for both the study area and the central part of the study 

area. Also included in table 1 for both areas are the changes 

in storage volume since October 1992 as a percentage of the 

storage volume lost between August 1940 and October 1992. 

The changes in storage volume for the study area since August 

1940 are shown graphically in figure 2C.

Following the maximum loss of storage that occurred 

from August 1940 to October 1992 in the study area (Hansen 

and Aucott, 2001), storage volume recovered until early 2000 

and then tended to decrease until the end of the last reporting 

period in January 2003 (Hansen and Aucott, 2004) (table 1). 

In the current study period, which began in January 2003, this 

tendency for aquifer storage volume to decrease continued 

until July 2003 in the study area and October 2003 in the central part of the study area when storage-volume changes since 

August 1940 were -197,000 and -92,300 acre-ft, respectively 

(table 1 and fig. 2C). This decrease in storage volume during 

2000–2003 occurred despite substantial decreases in annual 

city pumpage from the aquifer during 2000–2003 (fig. 2B). 

Since late 2003, storage volumes in both the study area 

and the central part of the study area tended to increase until 

January 2006 (table 1, fig. 2C). In January 2006, the smallest storage-volume depletions since August 1940 for the 

period January 2003 to January 2006 occurred in both areas 

(-127,000 and -68,900 acre-ft, respectively) (table 1 and fig. 

2C). Water levels and storage volumes in January 2006 were 

similar to those seen in the late 1970s (fig. 2C). 

The storage-volume change in the study area for the 

period October 1992 to January 2006 represents a recovery of 

about 156,000 acre-ft or about 55 percent of storage previously lost between August 1940 and October 1992 in the study 

area (table 1). This recovery in the study area approaches postOctober 1992 recoveries previously seen in early 2000 

(table 1). The storage-volume change in the central part of the 

study area for October 1992 to January 2006 represents about 

90,100 acre-ft or about a 57-percent recovery of storage lost 

between August 1940 and October 1992 in this part of the 

study area (table 1). This is the largest post-October 1992 

recovery to date in the central part of the study area, even surpassing the recovery seen in January 2000 (table 1). 

Effects of Artificial Recharge

Discussions about using artificial recharge to enhance 

the water supply in the Equus Beds aquifer have been occurring since the 1950s (for example, Stramel, 1956; Albert 

and Stramel, 1966). During 1995–2002, the Equus Beds 

Ground-Water Recharge Demonstration Project investigated 

the potential for artificial recharge to meet future water-supply 

needs and to protect the Equus Beds aquifer from the intrusion 

of saltwater from natural and human-related sources to the 

west (Ziegler and others, 1999). The recharge demonstration 

project was constructed through a cooperative effort among 

the city of Wichita and Federal, State, and local agencies. As a 

part of this project, two artificial recharge demonstration sites 

were located in the central part of the study area near Halstead 

and Sedgwick (fig. 1). Artificial recharge operations occurred 

during May 1997–June 2002 at the Halstead site and during 

April 1998–November 2000 at the Sedgwick site (Hansen and 

Aucott, 2004). The effects of the amount of artificial recharge 

Effects of Artificial Recharge 29
30 Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas Table 1. Storage-volume changes in Equus Beds aquifer near Wichita, south-central Kansas, August 1940–January 2006. [Data on file with U.S. Geological Survey, Lawrence, Kansas. --, not applicable] Change in storage volume in the study area Change in storage volume in the central part of the study area End date of time period Since August 1940 (acre-feet) Since October 1992 (acre-feet) Since October 1992 (percent) Since January 2003 (acre-feet) Since August 1940 (acre-feet) Since October 1992 (acre-feet) Since October 1992 (percent) Since January 2003 (acre-feet) October 1992 1-283,000 -- -- -- 1-159,000 -- -- -- January 1993 2-255,000 +28,000 +10 -- 2-154,000 +5,000 +3 -- January 2000 1-126,000 3+157,000 +55 -- 1-70,600 3+88,400 3+56 -- April 2000 3-101,000 3+182,000 3+64 -- 3-74,500 3+84,500 +53 -- January 2003 3-159,000 3+124,000 +44 -- 3-83,400 3+75,600 +48 -- April 2003 -153,000 +130,000 +46 +6,000 -84,400 +74,600 +47 -1,000 July 2003 -197,000 +86,000 +30 -38,000 -89,300 +69,700 +44 -5,900 October 2003 -186,000 +97,000 +34 -27,000 -92,300 +66,700 +42 -8,900 January 2004 -170,000 +113,000 +40 -11,000 -89,900 +69,100 +43 -6,500 April 2004 -147,000 +136,000 +48 +12,000 -83,600 +75,400 +47 -200 July 2004 -166,000 +117,000 +41 -7,000 -86,900 +72,100 +45 -3,500 October 2004 -158,000 +125,000 +44 +1,000 -86,200 +72,800 +46 -2,800 January 2005 -143,000 +140,000 +49 +16,000 -82,700 +76,300 +48 +700 April 2005 -131,000 +152,000 +54 +28,000 -80,500 +78,500 +49 +2,900 July 2005 -137,000 +146,000 +52 +22,000 -74,300 +84,700 +53 +9,100 October 2005 -131,000 +152,000 +54 +28,000 -74,300 +84,700 +53 +9,100

January 2006 -127,000 +156,000 +55 +32,000 -68,900 +90,100 +57 +14,500

1 Storage-volume change previously reported by Hansen and Aucott (2001).2 Storage-volume change previously reported by Aucott and Myers (1998).3 Storage-volume change previously reported by Hansen and Aucott (2004).
during this period, which was equivalent to less than 3 percent 

of the water pumped by the city from the study area during 

1997–2002, were masked by the generally larger decreases 

in city pumpage in the central part of the study area that 

occurred during the same period (Hansen and Aucott, 2004). 

No artificial recharge occurred in the study area during the 

current reporting period of January 2003 to January 2006. 

The city of Wichita plans to resume artificial recharge of the 

Equus Beds aquifer on a much larger scale after construction 

of Phase I of the Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project (scheduled for completion in September 2006) 

(Gerald T. Blain, city of Wichita, oral commun., March 16, 

2006). Artificial recharge will be allowed to occur only during 

periods when flows in the Little Arkansas River are greater 

than the minimum levels set by the State of Kansas (Approval 

of Application and Permit to Proceed Application File Nos. 

45569 through 45575, Kansas Department of Agriculture, 

Division of Water Resources, Topeka, Kansas, 2005). The artificial recharge is expected to cause water levels to rise areally, 

but especially where water is locally added, all other factors 

such as precipitation, city pumpage, and agricultural irrigation 

being equal.

Summary

The Equus Beds aquifer in southwestern Harvey County 

and northwestern Sedgwick County was developed to supply 

water to Wichita residents and for irrigation in south-central 

Kansas. Ground-water pumpage for city and agricultural use 

from the aquifer caused water levels to decline in a large part 

of the study area. In 1965, the city of Wichita began using 

water from Cheney Reservoir in addition to water from the 

Equus Beds aquifer and thus reduced the amount of water that 

would have been pumped from the Equus Beds aquifer. Irrigation pumpage in the area increased substantially during the 

1970s and 1980s and accelerated water-level declines. Most 

of the water-level declines can be attributed to ground-water 

pumping; however, climatic conditions (and thus variations in 

recharge to the Equus Beds aquifer) also have affected groundwater levels. Since 1995, the city has been investigating the 

use of artificial recharge in the study area to meet future watersupply needs and to protect the aquifer from the intrusion of 

saltwater from natural and human-related sources to the west.

Following record low water levels in October 1992, a 

period of water-level rises associated with generally greaterthan-average precipitation and decreased city pumpage from 

the study area that began in 1993 continued through the current reporting period (January 2006). During January 2006, 

the direction of ground-water flow in the Equus Beds aquifer 

in the study area generally was from west to east, which is 

similar to flow in the aquifer prior to development. Water-level 

changes since August 1940 for the period January 2003 to 

January 2006 ranged from a decline of more than 36 ft in July 

2004 near the center of the study area to a rise of more than 

2 ft in April 2005 near the northern edge of the study area. 

Almost all wells in the study area had small cumulative waterlevel rises from January 2003 to January 2006 and larger rises 

from October 1992 to January 2006. The water-level rises of 

10 ft or more from October 1992 to January 2006 probably 

are due principally to decreases in annual city pumpage from 

about 36,900 to 23,600 acre-ft, with increases in recharge due 

to precipitation during the period that averaged about 1.84 in. 

greater than the long-term average as a contributing factor. 

Another important factor in the decreased city pumpage was 

increased use of Cheney Reservoir by the city of Wichita as a 

water-supply source; as a result, city pumpage from the Equus

Beds aquifer during 1992–2005 decreased from about 60 to 

40 percent of Wichita’s usage and was similar to quantities 

pumped in the late 1940s. Irrigation pumpage increased during 

the period so it did not contribute to the overall water-level 

rises for the period.

The storage-volume changes in the study area and in the 

central part of the study area for the period October 1992 to 

January 2006 represent recoveries of about 55 and 57 percent, respectively, of storage volume previously lost between 

August 1940 and October 1992. 

No artificial recharge occurred in the study area during 

the period January 2003 to January 2006. Artificial recharge, 

which the city of Wichita plans to resume when permitted 

by State regulations and after completion of Phase I of the 

Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project in 2006, is 

expected to cause water levels to rise areally.

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Prepared by Lawrence Publishing Service Center.

Edited by Lanna Combs.

Graphics by Michael Kemppainen and Jeff Hartley.

Layout by Michael Kemppainen.

For more information concerning the research described 

in this report, contact:

U.S. Geological Survey

4821 Quail Crest Place

Lawrence, Kansas 66049-3830

(785) 842-9909

http://ks.water.usgs.gov

34  Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas
Printed on recycled paper

Hansen—Status of Ground-Water Levels and Storage Volume in the Equus Beds Aquifer Near Wichita, Kansas, 

January 2003−January 2006—Scientific Investigations Report 2006−5321

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

Precipitation, in inches per year

A. Precipitation

Average annual

precipitation 5-year moving

average

Long-term annual average, 1940-2005

(average for weather stations at Halstead,

Hutchinson, Mount Hope, Newton, Sedgwick, and Wichita)

80,000

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

Water use, in acre-feet per year

B. Water use for agricultural irrigation and by city of Wichita for public supply

Total city water use

for public supply

City ground-water use

for public supply

Permitted ground-water use for 

agricultural irrigation in study area

City surface-water use from

Cheney Reservoir for public

supply Estimated ground-water

use for agricultural irrigation

193819401950196019701980199020002006

1,350

1,480

1,360

1,370

1,380

1,390

1,400

1,410

1,420

1,430

1,440

1,450

1,460

1,470

Water-level altitude, in feet above vertical datum (NAVD 88)

600

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

Storage-volume change, in thousands of acre-feet

C. Water-level altitudes in observation wells 104 and 886 and Equus Beds aquifer storage-volume change in study area

Storage-volume change

Water-level altitude in well 104

Water-level altitude in well 886

1940−57 period 1958−77 period 1978−92 period 1993−2005 period