As part of a statewide program, about 1,380 wells in 47 central and western Kansas counties are measured annually. A larger view of this map is available. Techniques for measuring water levels are well established. A lead weight is attached to the end of a steel measuring tape. The weight pulls the end of the tape downward.
Blue chalk is rubbed on the end of the measuring tape to help easily distinguish wet from dry.
The depth from the surface to the top is calculated by subtracting the length of the wet part of the tape from the amount of tape lowered into the well hole. The program is sponsored by the Division of Water Resources and the Kansas Geological Survey. A representative sampling of wells is made, so that the resulting measurements provide an accurate but cost-effective snapshot of water levels in the aquifer. Once a well has been sucessfully measured, a weather-resistant tag is attached to the well so landowners can tell, from a distance, that their well has been measured. Different colored tags are used each year.