Ground-water resources of the Wood River unit of the lower Platte River basin, Nebraska

Abstract

The Wood River unit is mainly terrace land that lies on the north side of the Platte River between the city of Kearney and the town of Wood River. As irrigation from pumped wells is practiced extensively in the unit and is a major factor in the economy of the area, it is important to know the amount of water pumped annually from the groundwater reservoir and if the amount of discharge is greater than the annual recharge. Measurements of the water level in several observation wells in the area have been made periodically since the fall of 1930* These records show that in parts of the Wood River unit the water level has lowered since 1930; the net decline during the period from 1930-^9 vas about 6.5 ft in one well situated about > miles north of the town of Wood River.-This indicates that the average annual discharge is greater than the average annual recharge, at least in a local area. Water is discharged from the groundwater reservoir by pumping from wells, by seepage into the Platte River and into Wood River, by underflow eastward, and by transpiration and evaporation in the areas of shallow depths tcy-water* All, irrigation^ domestic, stock, municipal, and industrial^water supplies are obtained from wells. The ground water is recharged principally by precipitation that falls-Within the area, by effluent seepage from the Platte Biver and perhaps-locally from Wood River, by underflow from the west, and by return flow from a part of the water pumped from wells for irrigation. A field census, made in the summer of 19^8, showed 1,113 irrigation wells in the Wood River unit in 19^7-Of this total, the kj2 electrically driven pump installations were operated for an average of hr during the 19^7 irrigation season. Discharge measurements were made on 142 representative irrigation wells; the average yield was 856 gpm. The average electrically pumped well discharged 69.7 acre-ft of water during 19^7, the average amount of water applied to each irrigated acre was 1.52 acre-ft and the total annual pumpage was 77>600 acre-ft. Pumping-plant efficiencies were determined for 86 electrically powered pumping plants; the average plant efficiency was 57-3 percent. The report contains three maps, one showing the locations of all irrigation wells and the depths to water below land surface, another showing contours of the water table as of March and September 19^8, and another showing the change in groundwater levels for the period between 1931 and

Geology and ground-water resources of Buffalo County and adjacent areas, Nebraska

“…The Ogallala formation is the principal aquifer in the three deeper wells. Higher specific capacities, some exceeding 100 gpm per foot of drawdown, have been recorded (Keech, 1952, …”

“…Keech (1952) estimates the amount of water lost by transpiration in 1947 in the Platte River valley between Kearney and Wood River to be nearly three times the quantity pumped from wells. The amount of water transpired in the area described by this report, however, probably is much more than three times the quantity pumped from wells.…”

“…Most of these wells are in the Platte River valley east of Kearney; approximately 100 wells are in the Wood River valley northwest of Kearney; and less than 20 wells are in the remainder of the area north of the Platte River valley. Keech (1952) determined that the average annual pumpage for irrigation in the Platte River valley between Kearney and Wood River for the period 1945 48 inclusive amounted to approximately 68, 000 acre-feet. It is estimated that the average annual pumpage for irrigation in the area described by this report during the same period amounted to at least 100, 000 acre-feet.…”