Selected aquifer-test data from 36 counties in eastern Kansas were collected from numerous sources and publications in order to produce a documented compilation of aquifer tests in one report. Reported data were obtained chiefly from private consulting firms and from government agencies. Hydraulic properties determined included estimates of transmissivity, storage coefficient (where one or more observation wells were available), and in some cases hydraulic properties of a confining layer. The aquifers tested comprised three main types of aquifers consolidated rock, glacial, and alluvial aquifers including the Equus Beds aquifer, an extensive alluvial aquifer in south-central Kansas. The Theis recovery equation and the Cooper-Jacob modified nonequilibrium equation were the two principal solution methods used. Other methods used included the Theis nonequilibrium equation, the Hantush-Jacob equation for a leaky confined aquifer, Hantush's modified leaky equation in which storage from a confining layer was considered, and Boulton's delayed-yield equation. Additionally, a specific ^capacity method of estimating transmissivity was used when only a single drawdown value was available.
The availability of surface water for irrigation in the South Fork Solomon River valley has become less reliable in recent years. Consequently, irrigation wells have been installed to supplement surface-water supplies. These events have prompted a study, made in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Kansas Geological Survey, to develop a model of the stream-aquifer system to gain more understanding of the hydrology and groundwater hydraulics. The alluvial aquifer, which extends over an area of about 100 square miles, has saturated thicknesses ranging from a few feet to about 50 feet. Recharge to the aquifer is principally from precipitation and from seasonal losses in irrigation canals and laterals. Discharge from the aquifer is principally to the river and by seasonal pumpage from wells. A transient numerical flow model was applied to evaluate the streamaquifer system. The model was calibrated by comparing measured and simulated potentiometric surfaces in the alluvial aquifer and by comparing measured and simulated base flow in the South Fork Solomon River from March 1970 to January 1979. A model simulation indicated that pumpage could be continued at the 1978 rate through the year 2000 if recharge from streamflow diversion was equal to the 1970-78 rate. of the Sixth Principal Meridian), and section numbers, followed by letters that indicate the subdivision of the section in which the well is located. The first letter denotes the quarter section or 160-acre tract; the second letter denotes the quarter-quarter section or 40-acre tract; and the third letter, when used, indicates the quarter-quarter-quarter section or 10-acre tract. The 160-acre, 40-acre, and 10-acre tracts are designated A, B, C, and D in a counterclockwise direction, beginning in the northeast quarter (fig. 2). When two or more wells are located within a 10-acre tract, the wells are numbered serially according to the order in which they were inventoried. For example, well 7-16W-13BBC is in the SW1/4 NW1/4 NW1/4 of sec. 13, T. 7 S., R. 16 W. and is the first well inventoried in that tract. Acknowledgments The writers are grateful for information provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Webster Irrigation District. Appreciation also is extended to the numerous drillers and property owners who provided information on wells and test holes and permitted the drilling of test holes and the installation of observation wells on their land. WATER USE Surface Water Records of surface-water rights for irrigation purposes on the South Fork Solomon River date back to the early 1940's. During the late 1950's, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began construction of a multipurpose water project consisting of the Webster Reservoir and Dam, the Woodston Diversion Dam, the Osborne Irrigation Canal and laterals, and drainage systems required to serve about 8,500 irrigable acres. These structures collectively were entitled the Webster Irrigation Unit. The purpose of the water project was to provide flood protection and a dependable supply of w...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.