Laserfiche WebLink
<br />19 <br /> <br /> <br />0034 <br /> <br />12 percent were irrigated exclusively from surface water; 53,800 <br /> <br /> <br />acres or 71 percent were irrigated from surface and ground water <br /> <br /> <br />supplies; and the remaining 12,900 acres or 17 percent were irri- <br /> <br /> <br />gated exclusively from ground water. The total area is under ditch. <br /> <br /> <br />An inventory made in 1958 showed 470 irrigation wells in the <br /> <br /> <br />area. The rapid expansion of irrigation pumping in recent years <br /> <br /> <br />may have exceeded the recharge capacity of the aquifer resulting <br /> <br /> <br />in "mining" of water. A comprehensive ground water survey being <br /> <br /> <br />conducted cooperatively by the State of Kansas and the U.S.G.S. <br /> <br /> <br />should answer that question. <br /> <br /> <br />The yield of the potential Syracuse Reservoir, or alternate <br /> <br /> <br />Hartland Reservoir, can be used to supplement the present irrigation <br /> <br /> <br />water supply. Exchanges can be arranged to benefit the area upstream <br /> <br /> <br />from the reservoir. The lower canals can be served directly by reser- <br /> <br /> <br />voir releases. The ground water study may show methods by which <br /> <br /> <br />supplemental surface water can be applied to the higher lands in such <br /> <br /> <br />a pattern as to make return flows available to recharge the aquifer <br /> <br /> <br />underlying the lower lands. This would permit optimum utilization <br /> <br /> <br />of both surface and ground waters. <br /> <br /> <br />Ingalls area <br /> <br /> <br />An upland area lying north of the Arkansas River comprises about <br /> <br /> <br />200,000 acres situated in northeastern Gr~ County and extending into <br /> <br /> <br />adjacent Hodgeman, Finney and Ford Counties. Topography of the area <br /> <br /> <br />is generally smooth. The surface soils are deep and fertile, of <br /> <br /> <br />loessial origin, and underlain with the Ogallala formation of consid- <br /> <br /> <br />erable depth. Representa.tive borings indicate that a large portion of <br /> <br />the area might qualify as Class 1 and 2 arable lands. <br />