Maps of Probable Playas
Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) creates and maintains a region-wide spatial data layer of probable playas and county-based maps of probable playa locations. These resources can be very helpful for planning because playas can be difficult to identify on the ground or locate in aerial photos because they are often small, farmed, and/or dry.
Multiple sources of geographic data went into making the playas data layer and maps, including the National Wetlands Inventory, Soil Survey Geographic database, and satellite imagery. These wetland data were analyzed for each state in the PLJV region — Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas — to create the most comprehensive playa location map possible using remote sources. The playas layer contains locations of more than 80,000 playas across the PLJV region. The county-based maps are based on this layer and are available as PDF documents suitable for printing.
To obtain the playas data layer, download the playas shapefile. Click on a link below to view or download a county map as a PDF.
Given the seasonal nature of playas, and that many have been lost to sedimentation, some playas may have been missed. If you know of a playa not on one of these maps, or you would like a finer scale map, email gis@pljv.org. For information on how they were created, download the release notes, which include a detailed list of the data sources and methods used.