Connecting People, Playas and the Ogallala Aquifer

Because playas are a primary source of groundwater recharge, they can be an important part of a sustainable approach to securing water for communities in the western Great Plains.

Aquifer levels are decreasing throughout the region, with many towns and communities that depend on the Ogallala aquifer at risk for continuing groundwater loss. These towns are facing a future water supply that may be limited and are searching for solutions to continue providing abundant, clean water for residents.

Tomorrow’s Water could be part of the solution.

Tomorrow’s Water is an adaptive, collaborative approach between community members, agricultural producers, and conservation partners to create an actionable plan to ensure a clean and sustainable water supply for their community.

This is done by incorporating playa restoration into broader water quantity and quality efforts. Once water use has been reduced, healthy playas can provide a sustainable source of future water.

Playas are vital, temporary wetlands that provide important habitat for wildlife and are a primary source of recharge to the Ogallala Aquifer. These shallow, clay-lined depressions collect runoff from the surrounding area, filtering out contaminants and directing water underground. Communities can proactively address a declining water supply by restoring playas and adopting irrigation practices that reduce the impacts from aquifer overuse.

How Playas Play a Role

The first step is to determine whether playas can provide a contribution to your community’s water. The Tomorrow’s Water team can work with you to determine a plan to support your community.

Playas across the region recharge at an average annual rate of about three inches per year* — that’s three inches of water the size of the playa moving toward the aquifer each year there is adequate rainfall. For example, a four-acre playa, which is a very small one, sends approximately an acre-foot of water toward the aquifer. That’s 325,851 gallons of water — more than enough to supply a family of four people for two years.

The benefit goes beyond simple recharge; playas clean the water as it travels toward the aquifer. Studies show that water reaching the aquifer through playas is of higher quality than that going through other pathways. This happens in two ways: first, as rainfall and runoff travel toward the playa, the surrounding grasses trap sediments, which can carry contaminants into the playa; then, as the water moves through the clay floor of the playa, a second ‘cleaning’ process occurs as the soils beneath the playa remove nitrates and other dissolved contaminants. To see how this happens, watch our How Playas Work video.

*Gurdak and Roe, 2009. This report provides a review of all the playa studies with calculated recharge rates up to 2009. Three inches is an approximate average.

Enhancing Your Community’s Water

Because playas are a primary source of groundwater recharge, they are an important part of a water management plan. Once water use has been reduced, healthy playas can provide future water to support towns and rain-fed operations. Learn how in the video below.

Tomorrow’s Water is designed to help communities create an actionable plan to address their unique water needs. Each community is different and, as such, each water conservation effort will be different, too. Our team will work with you to outline and develop a community-based, collaborative conservation partnership, allowing room for each community to tailor it to fit their specific needs and goals.

Hand-in-Hand with Reducing Aquifer Overuse

Tomorrow’s Water helps communities explore ways to provide future water by reducing the impacts from aquifer overuse and increasing groundwater recharge through playas.

Although playas are a primary source of recharge, irrigation greatly exceeds recharge from playas. Tomorrow’s Water is designed to help communities include playas in their water management plan or efforts, with the focus on restoring playas and managing runoff within playa watersheds, alongside reducing aquifer overuse.

We’re here to help landowners put their playas to work in a way that meets their operational goals while providing important habitat for wildlife and water for future generations. Playas are primarily found on private land, and we know that every decision by every landowner is a personal one, driven by unique experiences and circumstances. Understanding those decisions can only be appreciated through personal conversations.

Taking the First Step

The first step is to determine whether playas can provide a measurable contribution to your community’s water. To understand if playa restoration can be an effective solution for your town, use our Playa Recharge Estimator to view the playas within two to five miles of your town and their potential recharge, then contact our team to discuss opportunities.

The Tomorrow’s Water team will work with you to develop a more detailed analysis of how playas can support your community, including identifying the number and condition of playas within two to 10 miles of community wells, and calculate the potential recharge if all playas were restored.