Every water right has a set amount or authorized quantity of water that can be used each year.
In addition, every water right holder is required by state law to complete and return an annual water use report that is used for, among other things, estimating the total amount of water used for that calendar year. The percent of the authorized water quantity used is a measure of the total water right activity, relative to total potential usage, that is occurring within the state. It can be used to identify locations where water rights are being used to their full extent, and compare those locations with aquifer conditions elsewhere. For water rights within the Kansas High Plains aquifer region as a whole, the average percent of the maximum authorized use of groundwater is just over 50 percent. Comparing this map to the maps of Maximum Authorized Use , Actual Change in Saturated Thickness , Current 1997-1999 Saturated Thickness , and Potential Natural Recharge reveals some interesting patterns.