Laserfiche WebLink
• <br />Mr. Adams is manager of the W -Y Ground Water Management District; Mr. <br />Saunders is manager for the Frenchman, Sand Hills, Marks Butte and Central Yuma <br />Ground Water Management Districts; Mr. Davis is manager of the Arikaree Ground <br />Water Management District; Mr. Hawthorne is manager of the Plains Ground Water <br />Management District; and Mr. Hanrahan is the Water Commissioner for the Northern <br />High Plains area. The Office of the State Engineer wishes to express thanks for the work <br />accomplished by these individuals under conditions which are often severe. <br />• <br />DISCUSSION OF RESULTS <br />Throughout the Northern High Plains water levels trends show a general decline <br />basin -wide with some minor areas of water level rise in the extreme northern and the <br />• southern part of the basin. The following table shows average water level changes for <br />each of the Management Districts or County: <br />• <br />• <br />i <br />• <br />• <br />• <br />0 <br />AREA <br />NUMBER OF <br />AVERAGE CHANGE <br />MEASUREMENTS <br />in feet <br />W -Y <br />62 <br />- 3.08 <br />FRENCHMAN <br />61 <br />- 1.08 <br />CENTRAL YUMA <br />54 <br />- 0.64 <br />MARKS BUTTE <br />19 <br />- 0.41 <br />SAND HILLS <br />50 <br />- 1.17 <br />ARIKAREE <br />108 <br />- 0.65 <br />PLAINS <br />138 <br />- 1.19 <br />EASTERN CHEYENNE <br />27 <br />- 1.66 <br />WASHINGTON CO. <br />34 <br />- 0.06 <br />LAGAN CO. <br />17 <br />+ 0.59 <br />PROWERS CO. <br />7 <br />+ 0.80 <br />KIOWA CO. <br />8 <br />+ 0.32 <br />TOTAL <br />585 <br />- 1.06 FEET <br />The rate of decline appears to be greater than for the past few years. This can partly <br />be explained by the extremely dry summer of 1988 and the dry winter of 1988189. A further <br />explanation may be due to the high crop prices which resulted from the Mid -West drought <br />of 1987 and 1988 which encourage farmers to maximize yields of crops. While the declines <br />are greater than those experienced in the wet years of the mid 1980's, they are consistent <br />with the overall trend established prior to that time. <br />One area in which more work is needed is that of correlating water level changes with <br />the changes in irrigation practice which has occurred because of the recent Federal crop <br />reduction programs. Preliminary evidence indicated that these programs can have a <br />marked influence on local water levels. This office will be working to obtain more detailed <br />data on this subject for inclusion in next years report. <br />