Healthy playas are a primary source of groundwater recharge — and provide important, year-round habitat for birds and other wildlife. Unlike many other wetlands, playas have an irregular wet-dry cycle, which is key to how they function. This video shows how playas recharge the Ogallala aquifer and provide critical wildlife habitat as they go through the cycle.
Author: nadmin
Photo by Miruh Hamend
How Playas Work
Photo by Rich Lerner
Connecting People, Playas & the Ogallala Across Generations
Throughout the region, aquifer levels are decreasing, and many communities that depend on the High Plains (Ogallala) Aquifer are experiencing declining availability of groundwater. In Kansas, there are a number of small towns that are at risk for continuing groundwater loss. The economic vitality and resiliency of these communities are dependent on a clean, sustainable water supply; however, over the years, with the development and widespread use of irrigation, the saturated thickness of the aquifer in this area has declined significantly and the rate of withdrawal continues to exceed the rate of recharge.
A diverse group of partners are working together to expand water conservation efforts and help agricultural producers engage in voluntary conservation activities including irrigation efficiency, water conservation and playa restoration. Playas are a primary source of groundwater recharge and can be an important part of a sustainable approach to securing water for communities in western Kansas.
Photo by Abe Lollar
Enrolling Playa in Conservation Program Was a ‘No-brainer’
Before he enrolled his playa in a conservation program, Ed Ackerman can remember a total of three times when they were able to cut wheat from the area.
Ackerman has one playa on his land in Brewster, Kansas, just outside of Goodland, and when he and his wife inherited it from her father, they noticed some serious issues around farming in that particular spot.
“It was just something that didn’t work,” he said of farming in the playa. “Between farming it and putting it in a playa conservation program, it was kind of a no-brainer. ”
Playas—also called buffalo wallows, lagoons, and mud holes—are relatively small, round, shallow depressions found in western Kansas and across the Southern High Plains. Their basins are lined with clay soil, which collects and holds water from rainfall and runoff, creating temporary lakes. In a wet spring, playas in agricultural fields often flood out, resulting in crop failure.
In 2018, Ackerman enrolled his seven-acre playa in the Migratory Bird, Butterfly and Pollinator Habitat State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement practice, part of the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that focuses on restoring playas in crop ground.
Restoring the wetland involved some dirt work including removing excess sediment from the basin and breaking terraces, allowing water to reach the playa. A grass buffer was also planted around the playa to keep sediment from surrounding fields from washing back into the basin.
Ackerman said he has already started to see the difference from all those changes.
“Since last spring when we planted the grass on the outside of it, on the buffer, one of the things I noticed was how much longer the water stayed in there this time,” he said.
He also noticed the native plants, which they used to have to kill in order to plant crops, quickly grew back in the playa basin — making things easier for him and more beneficial for the wildlife.
Those plants are an important part of a playa ecosystem, which provides essential shelter and food for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds as well as resident prairie birds. In this dry landscape, playas are the main source of water and support 185 bird species, 450 plant species, 13 amphibian species, and 37 mammal species at some point in their life.
For Ackerman, enrolling playas in conservation programs is “a pretty darn good idea.”
“The playa wasn’t doing anything to speak of as a piece of farm ground because most of the time there was water in it,” he said. “So we thought if we could do something else with some conservation and have some wildlife, it would just be a plus.
“It got discouraging with nothing growing there. Instead, we did something else with it and got paid a little to do that.”
Leoti, KS
NRCS Awards $1.4 Million to Support Local Groundwater Sustainability Project
A new enterprise to address declining aquifer levels will soon be available in Wichita and Greeley counties. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing $1.4 million in a partner-driven Groundwater Recharge and Sustainability Project (GRASP) to support local communities through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The project has an additional $1.5 million in partner contributions.
“Water drives western Kansas’ economy. Residents, businesses, agriculture, and communities need access to clean, abundant sources of water to survive and thrive,” said Christy Hopkins, director of Greeley County Community Development. “As we look for ways to preserve our community and grow in the future, ensuring access to a safe, stable, and secure water supply is critically important.”
This RCPP project will help landowners voluntarily restore playas near municipal and domestic wells, improve irrigation efficiency, reduce pumping, retire wells, and transition to dryland cropping systems. It is designed to support existing water conservation efforts such as the Wichita County Water Conservation Area (WCA) management plan and the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Water Transition Assistance Program (WTAP), as well as the proposed Wichita County Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA).
“We are excited that this project was selected for funding,” said Troy J. Munsch, Kansas NRCS Acting State Conservationist. “The Ogallala Aquifer is a critical resource in this region, and we have a long and successful relationship with many of the partners involved in this project.”
A diverse group of organizations and individuals have come together to proactively address a declining municipal water supply by restoring their part of the Ogallala Aquifer.
“The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD), along with the Wichita and Greeley County Conservation Districts, strongly support this RCPP, and are one of the major partners, because it will help conserve water, create wildlife habitat, help stop erosion, and help to sustain a water supply for future generations,” said Bill Simshauser, KACD executive board member.
According to Simshauser, the RCPP practices will help producers and landowners get conservation on the ground that will help save water and help recharge the Ogallala Aquifer.
“All these practices in combination — restoring playa lakes, reducing irrigation water usage, and retiring irrigation water rights — will help to sustain the local water supply,” he said.
Playas are the most numerous wetlands in the region, with more than 80,000 scattered across the western Great Plains. Based on the best available data, there are approximately 2,690 acres of playas in Wichita County and 2,364 acres in Greeley County.
“Playas are an important part of a sustainable approach to securing water for communities in Kansas,” said Matt Smith, Conservation Delivery Specialist at Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) and co-author of the RCPP proposal. “These temporary wetlands are a primary source of recharge for the Ogallala Aquifer, contributing up to 95 percent of water flowing to the aquifer — and improving the quality of that water.”
By restoring and protecting playas near municipal and domestic water wells, recharge will be supported where it is needed most. Horizontal flow rates within the aquifer are extremely slow (1/2-1 mile per 10 years or slower), so the water is functionally compartmentalized in a given area.
“This RCPP builds on the groundwork laid by our Wichita County WCA in 2016 and will improve the sustainability of our operations for years to come,” said Tammy Simons, one of the producers participating in the WCA. “The sustainability of the Ogallala Aquifer, right under our family’s fourth generation farm, has historically been dubbed a tragedy of the commons; however, what began five years ago as piecemeal approaches to water recharge and conservation has now morphed into a phenomenal project that will have a lasting impact for the common good.”
The benefits provided by playas go beyond simple recharge.
“Playas not only help recharge the aquifer and provide cleaner water through natural filtration processes, they also provide habitat for wildlife, create an environment for recreational activities for locals and tourists alike, and are living laboratories that provide excellent educational and research opportunities for local students,” Hopkins said.
“We all know communities will not survive without water,” Simshauser said. “And the way to ensure a viable water supply is through conservation. This RCPP is unique in that it brought together a diverse group of like-minded partners — conservation organizations and agencies, landowners and producers, county, community, and municipal authorities — who are all concerned over the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer and want to help create a sustainable water supply for our communities.”
The group of partners for the project includes the City of Leoti, Ducks Unlimited, Greeley County Community Development, Greeley County Conservation District, Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Livestock Association, Kansas Water Office, Leoti-Wichita County Future Farmers of America Chapter, Pheasants Forever, Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Unified Greeley County, Wichita County Commission, Wichita County Conservation District, Wichita County Health Center and Wichita County Water Conservation Area.
For questions about GRASP, contact Dan Meyerhoff with Kansas Association of Conservation Districts at 785-650-1330 or Matt Smith with Playa Lakes Joint Venture at 785-420-7000.
Photo by Rich Lerner
Leaving a Legacy
Mark Smith has farmed and run cattle in Wallace County, Kansas, for many years. He believes preserving his playas strengthens his operation, preserves history, and leaves a legacy for future generations. “These playas have been a great source of water and wildlife for people for thousands of years. And it just makes sense to put them in a program, to protect that. We need to restore these playas so they can actually have the drying, the cracking, letting in the water for the recharge, have all the wildlife. I want to be able to leave a legacy, that I took care of this land and I left it better than I received it.”
Photo by Rich Lerner
Water for Communities
Tony Winter has farmed near Leoti, Kansas, most of his life and participates in the Wichita County Water Conservation Area (WCA). The group’s goal is to reduce water use and provide a sustainable future for the town of Leoti. “I see water as the main issue for survival of Leoti. Water keeps our local economy going. We have to preserve our water or there won’t be future generations out here. Playas definitely play a role in extending the aquifer. We’re voluntarily reducing our water usage and the playa program is another great way to prolong our water table.”
Photo by Rich Lerner
Making a Difference for Future Generations
Ray Smith and his daughter, Alicia Allen, are dryland farmers in Wallace and Greeley counties. Half of their playas are enrolled in a conservation program, with the largest one protected under a perpetual wetland reserve easement. “Stewardship is a core value of our farm; we consider how our daily decisions will affect future generations and the environment. The ability of the playas to recharge the aquifer, even though it might be a small effect, is a big deal to us. Conservation is important to us now because we know that it will affect future generations, and it will affect wildlife and the the whole environment.”
Photo by Rich Lerner
All Sorts of Wildlife
Moe Linden farms and runs cattle in Lane County, Kansas. He has a playa, about 40 acres in size, that he manages for wildlife habitat and hunting. “A playa is hard to farm. You might get one out of six years where you could grow a good crop, but the clay soil in the bottom is kind of prohibitive to farming it. So I think it’s a waste of time to farm them; might as well do something else. The playa attracts all sorts of wildlife — from upland wildlife to the deer and antelope. We get cranes, we get ducks, we get geese coming in there. Everything frequents that place.”
Photo by Rich Lerner
Putting Money in My Pocket
Andy Hineman is a dryland farmer in Lane County, Kansas. He is focused on increasing the efficiency of his operation, which includes taking many of his playas out of production and enrolling them in a conservation program. “In our combines we’ve got yield mapping capabilities, so it’s easy to look at each field that has playas. It’s pretty evident those are a big fat zero on most of the years compared to the rest of the field. It makes it pretty easy to decide to enroll it into a program that’s going to be beneficial for the environment and wildlife — and put money back in my pocket.”
Photo by Rich Lerner
From Dust to Ducks
Vance and Louise Ehmke are fourth generation farmers in Lane County, Kansas. They have 50-60 playas on their land and have enrolled a number of them in USDA conservation programs. “Without a doubt, I think we’re better off not farming these playa lakes, because we have a very high incidence of crop failure — either it’s too dry to get your crop up, or once you do get it up it floods out. But beyond that, I think they have a lot of advantage in terms of providing aesthetic breaks and diversity. It’s really a lot of fun when you do have these big rainfall events, and the playas are full within 12 hours; you can literally go from dust to ducks overnight.”