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<br />I <br /> <br />O~~nr'! <br />':JI)'~'14 <br />. . _., . ~ <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Ground Water Availability <br /> <br />Ground water is the principal supply source in many areas of the Missouri <br /> <br />River Basin. Fortunately, the basin has been endowed with abundant ground <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />water of quality suitable for most purposes. Shallow alluvial deposits are <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />found along most major watercourses. Also, extensive quantities of relatively <br /> <br />shallow ground water underlie large portions of Nebraska, western Kansas, <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />eastern Wyoming and Colorado, and parts of Missouri and South Dakota. In" all, <br /> <br />reserves lying at less than 1,000 feet deep are estimated at greater than <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />3 billion acre-feet.2 Further, large amounts of ground water are known to <br /> <br />exist in extensive sandstones and limestones at depths greater than 1,000 feet. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Although these deeper deposits contain more water than the more accessible <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />shallow aquifers, its use is limited by excessive pumping costs and variable <br /> <br />quality. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Water tables in some areas of the basin are declining due to withdrawals <br /> <br />in excess of recharge. Areas experiencing significant adverse effects include <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />northwestern Kansas, eastern Colorado and Wyoming, northwestern Nebraska, <br /> <br />portions of the Platte and Blue Basins in Nebraska, and parts of eastern <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Missouri. On the other hand, the ground water level is rising in portions of <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />south-central Nebraska due to irrigation canal seepage and infiltration from <br /> <br />irrigated lands. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Ground Water Quality <br /> <br />The quality of ground water in the basin is variable. Water of highest <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />quality is generally derived from dune sand, such as that found in <br /> <br />north-central Nebraska, and from deep igneous and metamorphic rock formations. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Major sources of ground water are generally sedimentary deposits and valley <br /> <br />alluviums. In the former, abundant shallow sandstone and limestone deposits <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />generally yield water of adequate quality for most uses. Water recovered from <br /> <br /> <br />valley alluviums is influenced by the quality of the surface water, the rock <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />types in the valley, and the surrounding vegetation. Alluviums along many <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />streams contain water with high sulfate concentrations. <br /> <br />2-19 <br /> <br />I <br />