U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2008





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 Read the magazine story to find out more.Photo: Map of the Ogallala aquifer.The Ogallala aquifer underlies parts of eight states. Photo courtesy U.S. Geological Survey.For further readingEvaluating riparian buffers' effectivenessSlowing the loss of agricultural chemicalsDesigning the best possible conservation buffersPhoto: Pond water above the Ogallala aquifer. Rain that makes it past the plant root zone is a key source for recharging the Ogallala aquifer. Photo courtesy Dennis Gitz. Researchers Study Playa Lakes Over the Ogallala By Don Comis  April 2, 2008 Are the tens of thousands of playa lakes that dot the Southern High Plains key to keeping the Ogallala Aquifer's dwindling waters clean? That's the question Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologist Dennis Gitz is asking about North America's largest aquifer. Playas are ephemeral lakes that form when rainwater fills natural clay depressions in the landscape. Gitz found that this water flows continually downward, if slowly, into the Ogallala, contributing to its recharge. The recharge rate for cropland over the Ogallala is negligible, which is why there is so much concern for this practically finite source of water. Part of the playas question is whether the recharge rate is significant enough for them to be protected with filtering borders of gamagrass or switchgrass. If so, the grass borders would ensure that playas continue to add significant amounts of clean water to the Ogallala and help extend its useful life. To measure the recharge rate of the Ogallala for both cropland and playas, Gitz and colleagues from Texas Tech University are using soil thermometers to track rainwater's downward movement through soil. The thermometers track rainwater by detecting sudden changes in temperature where rainwater stops seeping. The scientists proved the thermometer idea works in a study that showed a good agreement between thermometer readings and actual water infiltration readings. Thermometers are much less expensive than other methods of tracking rainwater infiltration. Gitz has installed a bank of instruments at 14 playas and is developing instruments for 16 more. These include instruments for weather stations, as well as for measuring water levels. He will use data from these instruments to calculate expected water evaporation rates for comparison to actual water losses. The difference shows the amount of water that has infiltrated the soil below the lakes. If the recharge rate for playas turns out to be negligible, farmers could consider managing them for rangeland or recreational use. Read more about the research in the April 2008 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov