Did the Drought Affect Aquifer Water Measurements?

Many people have been asking the District how the water fared after the record breaking drought through last year. The answer is that it depends on where you are standing. One thing to consider when looking at the maps in this newsletter is the use of the five year rolling average (explained in the “Explanation of 5 Year Average” article) will mitigate the effects of a single year’s low measurement. For example, if a well declined six feet this year, its five year average decline might only be 2.5 feet. Many areas did not see any more average depletion than usual in the Ogallala Aquifer.

Armstrong, Donley and Gray counties saw average depletion very similar to last years. This year the average depletion in Wheeler County looked a bit better than last year. Roberts County had a larger area of average depletion than last year. However, much of the production in that county is for municipal use, and a second well field has been added to the first in that area. The average depletion in Carson County is also worse than last year. In most years the majority of Carson County is between zero and one foot down, but this year the majority of the county was between one and two feet down. This is likely caused by the drought’s affect on the combined irrigation and municipal production in this county.

While the average decline maps depicted in this newsletter do not show much more decline than in previous years, there are some wells with significantly more annual decline than usual as a result of the drought. One benefit of the drought is the awareness of our water supply and the importance of conservation. It would be a shame to waste that!

2012 Depletion Maps

Click below to view the latest maps:

2012 Depletion Level Maps

Meters Required on New Wells

Meters are required within the District because they encourage water conservation by helping to improve accuracy of application, and they also provide useful information such as water usage to the farmer and Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District (PGCD).

           

PGCD Rules require all new wells with pumps 4 inches or larger to be metered at the landowner’s expense.   Under Rule 15.2, all non-exempt wells in portions of the district designated as Study Areas are also required to have meters.  A meter may be purchased from the District at cost or from a commercial manufacturer that is District approved.  For wells drilled before December 15, 2004, producers may purchase a meter from the District on a 50/50 cost share basis up to $600.   

Please call the District office for more information.