Water Resources of Sedgwick County, Kansas
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WATER RESOURCES OF SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS By Hugh E. Bevans U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 88-4225 Prepared in cooperation with SEDGWICK COUNTY and the CITY OF WICHITA Lawrence, Kansas 1989 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information Copies of this report can write to: be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports Water Resources Division Denver Federal Center 4821 Quail Crest Place Box 25425, Building 810 Lawrence, Kansas 66049 Denver, Colorado 80225 CONTENTS-Continued Figure Page 9. Graph showing flow-duration curves for North Fork Ninnescah River above Cheney Reservoir and at Cheney Dam, South Fork Ninnescah River near Murdock, and Ninnescah River near Peck, October 1965-September 1985 ...................... 25 10. Graphs showing low-flow frequency curves for Arkansas River near Hutchinson, at Wichita, and at Derby; and for Little Arkansas River at Valley Center, October 1965- September 1985 ............................................................. 27 11. Graphs showing low-flow frequency curves for North Fork Ninnescah River above Cheney Reservoir, South Fork Ninnescah River near Murdock, and Ninnescah River near Peck, October 1965-September 1985 ...................................... 28 12. Graphs showing high-flow frequency curves for Arkansas River near Hutchinson, at Wichita, and at Derby; and for Little Arkansas River at Valley Center, October 1965- September 1985 ............................................................. 29 13. Graphs showing high-flow frequency curves for North Fork Ninnescah River above Cheney Reservoir, South Fork Ninnescah River near Murdock, and Ninnescah River near Peck, October 1965- September 1985 ..................................... 31 14. Sketch illustrating method used to describe location of sampling sites ............ 52 15. Graph showing storage-yield curves for Little Arkansas River at Valley Center, North Fork Ninnescah River near Cheney, and South Fork Ninnescah River near Murdock, representing a 2-percent chance of deficiency .................................. 56 16. Graph showing regional storage-yield curves for unregulated streams with drainage . areas less than 300 square miles, representing a 2-percent chance of deficiency .... 58 17. Map showing mean annual runoff in eastern Kansas ........................... 59 18. Hydrographs of selected wells in Sedgwick County and graphs showing seasonal precipitation at Wichita, irrigated acres in Sedgwick County, and annual ground- water withdrawals from Wichita well field, 1938-85, and cumulative departure from average precipitation (1888-1985) at Wichita .................................. 78 19. Map showing saturated thickness of unconsolidated deposits in Sedgwick County . 81 20. Map showing Wichita well field in southwest Harvey and northwest Sedgwick Counties, public-supply and observation-well network, and water-level declines from August 30,1940 to March 31,1960, and from August 30,1940 to October 1,1982 102 21. Graph showing chloride concentrations in adjacent wells indicating downward move ment of brine from shallow evaporation pits in vicinity of Wichita well field, 1939-83 106 22. Map showing chloride concentrations in vicinity of Wichita well field, 1980-85 .. 107 Contents v CONTENTS-Continued Table Page 1. Estimated water use in Sedgwick County during 1985 and 1984 appropriated water rights ................................................................. 8 2. Selected water-quality criteria for water used as sources of public- and domestic-water supplies .................................................................... 12 3. Water-quality characteristics of water resources that have been used as sources for selected industrial supplies .................................................. 16 4. Permissible number of irrigations with saline water in humid regions between leaching rains for indicated crops ..................................................... 17 5. Criteria for maximum values of selected water-quality properties and constituents in agricultural water .......................................................... 20 6. Statistical summary of selected water-quality properties and constituents for major streams, October 1965- September 1985 ....................................... 33 7. Results of correlation and regression analysis relating selected water-quality properties and constituents to streamflow for major streams, October 1965- September 1985 ............................................................. 37 8. Results of correlation and regression analysis relating discharge of sodium, sulfate, chloride, dissolved solids, and suspended sediment to streamflow for major streams, October 1965- September 1985 ............................................... 43 9. Computation of mean suspended-sediment discharge for Arkansas River near Hutchinson, October 1965- September 1985 .................................... 45 10. Mean annual discharge of dissolved solids and suspended sediment for major streams, October 1965-September 1985 ................................................ 46 11. Streamflow and water-quality data collected during a low-flow reconnaissance in Sedgwick County, March 11-14,1985 ......................................... 48 12. Water-quality data for selected impoundments in Sedgwick County, October 21- 24,1985 .................................................................... 60 13. Mean values of selected properties and concentrations of chemical constituents in water from Cheney Reservoir ...................................................... 69 14. Records of wells where water-level measurements were made during December 1985 and January 1986 ........................................................... 70 15. Water-quality data for selected wells in Sedgwick County, August 1985 and February 1986 ....................................................................... 83 16. Statistical summary of water-quality data from selected wells in Sedgwick County with long-term records ....................................................... 95 vi Water Resources of Sedgwick County, Kansas CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................. 1 Introduction .......................................................................... 2 Purpose and objectives ........................................................... 2 Study area ...................................................................... 4 Previous hydrologic investigations ................................................ 4 Geographic setting ..................................................................... 4 Physiography ................................................................... 4 Population and economic activities ................................................ 6 Water-supply requirements ............................................................. 8 Water use ....................................................................... 8 Water-quality criteria ........................................................... 10 Geologic setting ...................................................................... 17 Surface-water resources ............................................................... 21 Rivers and streams ............................................................. 21 Streamflow characteristics ................................................ 21 Historic streamflow ................................................. 21 Flow duration ...................................................... 25 Low-flow characteristics ............................................. 26 High-flow characteristics ............................................ 26 Streamflow gains and losses ......................................... 30 Water-quality characteristics .............................................. 32 Statistical summary of water-quality properties and constituents ....... 32 Relationships between streamflow and water-quality properties and constituents ..................................................... 41 Discharge of sodium, sulfate, chloride, dissolved solids, and suspended sediment ........................................................ 42 Results of low-flow water-quality reconnaissance ...................... 47 Impoundments ................................................................. 56 Storage requirements ..................................................... 56 Water-quality characteristics .............................................. 57 Results of water-quality reconnaissance .............................. 57 Estimated water-quality characteristics of hypothetical impoundments on Little Arkansas and South Fork Ninnescah Rivers .................. 66 Cheney Reservoir ......................................................... 67 Ground-water resources ............................................................... 68 Occurrence and availability ..................................................... 68 Water levels and ground-water flow .............................................. 69 Historic fluctuations in water levels .............................................. 77 Depth to water and saturated thickness ........................................... 80 Recharge, storage, and discharge ................................................. 80 Water-quality characteristics ...................................................