Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Recharge rates and chemistry beneath playas of the High Plains aquifer: A literature review and synthesis

June 13, 2009

Playas are ephemeral, closed-basin wetlands that are important zones of recharge to the High Plains (or Ogallala) aquifer and critical habitat for birds and other wildlife in the otherwise semiarid, shortgrass prairie and agricultural landscape. The ephemeral nature of playas, low regional recharge rates, and a strong reliance on ground water from the High Plains aquifer has prompted many questions regarding the contribution of recharge from playas to the regional aquifer.

To address these questions and concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Playa Lakes Joint Venture, present a review and synthesis of the more than 175 publications about recharge rates and chemistry beneath playas and interplaya settings. Although a number of questions remain regarding the controls on recharge rates and chemistry beneath playas, the results from most published studies indicate that recharge rates beneath playas are substantially (1 to 2 orders of magnitude) higher than recharge rates beneath interplaya settings. The synthesis presented here supports the conceptual model that playas are important zones of recharge to the High Plains aquifer and are not strictly evaporative pans. The major findings of this synthesis yield science-based implications for the protection and management of playas and ground-water resources of the High Plains aquifer and directions for future research.

Publication Year 2009
Title Recharge rates and chemistry beneath playas of the High Plains aquifer: A literature review and synthesis
DOI 10.3133/cir1333
Authors Jason J. Gurdak, Cassia D. Roe
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Circular
Series Number 1333
Index ID cir1333
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Colorado Water Science Center
Was this page helpful?