Prepared in cooperation with the KANSAS WATER OFFICE Water-Table Conditions, Aquifer Properties, and Streambed Permeability Along the Republican River From Near Hardy, Nebraska, to Concordia, Kansas Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4162 Well Bl near Hardy, Nebraska 1,530 Water-level altitude No measurements 1,520 were made where line is missing 1,510 V 3 1,500 I I ill I I I > _gj Well B4 south of Republic, Kansas I 1,490 1,480 1,470 1,460 £ 1,450 Well Bl 1 near Concordia, Kansas 1,330 1,340 1,330 1,320 I I 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Prepared in cooperation with the KANSAS WATER OFFICE Water-Table Conditions, Aquifer Properties, and Streambed Permeability Along the Republican River From Near Hardy, Nebraska, to Concordia, Kansas By C.V. Hansen Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4162 Lawrence, Kansas 1998 U.S. Department of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Thomas J. Casadevall, Acting Director For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: U.S. Geological Survey District Chief Information Services U.S. Geological Survey Box 25286 4821 Quail Crest Place Federal Center Lawrence, KS 66049-3839 Denver, CO 80225-0826 CONTENTS Abstract.......................................................................................................^ 1 Introduction...........................................................................................^ 2 Purpose and Scope....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Description of Study Area........................................................................................................................................... 5 Well-Numbering Systems............................................................................................................................................ 9 Previous Studies...............................................................................................................^ 10 Acknowledgments................................................................................................^ 11 Water-Table Conditions............................................... 11 Summer 1942...............................................................................................» 13 June and July 1963..............................................................................................................^^ 15 Spring 1977.........................................................................^ 18 August 1996.................................................................... 18 December 1996............................................................................................................^^ 18 Long-Term and Seasonal Changes .............................................................................................................................. 18 Aquifer Properties.......................................................................^ 22 StreambedPenneability .................................................... 23 Summary ........................................................................................................................................................... 27 Selected References ................................................................. 29 FIGURES 1. Map showing location of study area........................................................................................................................... 3 2. Graphs showing cumulative number of ground- and surface-water diversions in the drainage basin and valley of the Republican River from near Hardy, Nebraska, to Concordia, Kansas, 1947-95 ............................................. 4 3. Graphs showing precipitation at Belleville, Kansas, gaged streamflow near Hardy, Nebraska, and periods of significant droughts and floods in north-central Kansas, 1933-96............................................................................. 6 4. Map showing generalized near-surface geology of study area................................................................................... 8 5. Diagram showing hydrologic system in study area.................................................................................................... 9 6. Diagram showing well-numbering systems................................................................................................................ 10 7. Water-table hydrographs along section A-A' through the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District................................. 12 8. Water-table hydrographs along section B-B' in the Republican River Valley ........................................................... 14 9-13. Maps showing water table in and adjacent to Republican River Valley in study area: 9. Summer 1942 ........................................................................................................................................... 16 10. June and July 1963............................................................................................................................................. 17 11. Spring 1977 ................................................................. 19 12. August 1996................................................................................................................................................ 20 13. December 1996 .................................................................................................................................... 21 14. Map showing published and estimated transmissivity values and location of streambed-permeability measurement sites in the Republican River Valley in or near study area................................................................... 24 TABLES 1. Generalized section of geologic units in study area and their hydrologic characteristics....................................... 7 2. Estimated specific-capacity and transmissivity values from wells in Republican River Valley in study area........ 25 3. Estimated vertical hydraulic conductivity of Republican River streambed measured during August and December 1996 in study area.................................................................................................................................. 28 Contents III CONVERSION FACTORS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND VERTICAL DATUM Multiply By To obtain acre 4,047 square meter cubic foot (ft3) 0.02832 cubic meter cubic foot per day (ft3/d) 0.02832 cubic meter per day cubic foot per day per foot [(ft3/d)/ft] 0.0929 cubic meter per day per meter cubic foot per second (ft3/d) 0.02832 cubic meter per second foot (ft) 0.3048 meter foot per day (ft/d) 0.3048 meter per day foot per foot (ft/ft) 0.3048 meter per meter foot per mile (ft/mi) 0.1894 meter per kilometer foot squared per day (ft2/d) 0.09290 meter squared per day gallon per minute (gal/min) 0.06309 liter per second inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer __________square mile (mi2) 2.590___square kilometer_______ Sea level: In this report, "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 a geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of the United States and Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929. IV Water-Table Conditions, Aquifer Properties, and Streambed Permeability Along the Republican River From Near Hardy, Nebraska, to Concordia, Kansas Water-Table Conditions, Aquifer Properties, and Streambed Permeability Along the Republican River From Near Hardy, Nebraska, to Concordia, Kansas By Crlsti V. Hansen Abstract the 1960's and 1990's in the Grand Island Formation east of the Republican River Valley The two principal water-bearing units in the and in the alluvial aquifer south of Scandia, Kan­ Republican River Valley and the Kansas sas. Most hydrographs of wells in the western Bostwick Irrigation District in north-central Kan­ sas are the alluvial aquifer in the Republican upland loess deposits show an increase in water River Valley and the Grand Island Formation levels during the late 1950's and early 1960's that north of White Rock and Dry Creeks. Water- relate to the development of irrigation using level data collected from about 130 wells during imported surface water by the Kansas Bostwick August and December 1996 were used to con­ Irrigation District. struct water-table maps. These maps, along with Transmissivity of the alluvial aquifer in the previously published water-table maps for the Republican River Valley derived from 42 previ­ summer of 1942, June and July 1963, and spring ously published aquifer and specific-capacity tests 1977 and long-term hydrographs for 19 wells, and 52 well-completion specific-capacity tests were used to describe the ground-water system ranged from 260 to 44,000 feet squared per day, and changes that have occurred through time. with a median of about 10,000 feet squared per The water table slopes gently down the day. Transmissivities tended to be larger in the Republican River Valley from an altitude of about south part of the study area and toward the middle 1,510 feet above sea level near Hardy, Nebraska, of the valley at least in part because these areas to less than 1,350 feet near Concordia, Kansas, or contain coarser alluvial deposits with greater about 5 feet per mile.