For nearly a century, Nate Emig’s family has farmed the rolling ground southwest of Goodland, raising corn, wheat and milo in the semi-arid landscape of northwest Kansas. Like many multigenerational producers, Emig was raised with a simple philosophy: make the most of every acre.

“The cost of farming nonproductive acres has a direct cost. You can actually reduce your expenses in that playa and do something that protects it.”

But about 14 miles southwest of Goodland, one stubborn patch of ground kept refusing to cooperate.

“It was pretty clear once we started farming it that it wasn’t meant to be farm ground,” Emig said.

The acreage included a large playa, a shallow, natural depression common across the High Plains that temporarily fills with water after rainfall and is vital for recharging the Ogallala Aquifer. When Emig’s family acquired the property in 2016, the playa had long been farmed. But over five or six seasons, Emig said he harvested only one or two crops from it.

The rest of the time, it flooded.

“You can actually reduce your expenses in that playa and do something that protects it,” Emig said. “The cost of farming nonproductive acres has a direct cost.”

That realization marked a turning point. Not just for a single field, but for how Emig views the balance between production and conservation.

It marked the beginning of exploring restoration on the playa and a deeper understanding of the quiet but powerful role these wetlands play in recharging the Ogallala Aquifer and protecting the land for future generations.

Letting the land return to itself

By 2021 or 2022, Emig began pursuing restoration through an Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easement (ACEP-WRE), administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He reached out to the local NRCS office and worked closely with staff to enroll in the program..

The playa restoration itself was straightforward.

Crews removed sediment that had accumulated in the basin, improving its ability to infiltrate and hold water. A terrace that had restricted natural flow into the depression was taken out.

“There weren’t any surprises,” Emig said. “It was pretty much exactly what we thought it was going to be.”

For a farmer accustomed to managing variables — markets, weather, input costs — the predictability of the process was welcome.

From nuisance to asset

Across northwest Kansas, playas are sometimes viewed as inconveniences, wet spots that interrupt fieldwork, drown crops and complicate irrigation patterns.

“I’d say most farmers view it as a nuisance,” Emig said.

Historically, many playas were leveled, terraced or farmed through in an effort to maximize production. But research shows that intact playas play an important role in aquifer recharge, particularly over the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies much of western Kansas’ groundwater.

“Playas that are farmed are less productive in recharging the aquifer,” Emig said. “It stands to reason that there should be more recharge if they’re set up properly.”

Emig is careful not to overstate what a single project can do. The impact of restoration depends on location, soil type and proximity to municipal wells, he said. But he believes cumulative change matters, especially in communities like Sherman County, where groundwater sustainability is an ongoing concern.

“I value what we have for groundwater resources out here,” he said. “We try to be more efficient and reduce the quantity of water that we pump. Any measure that helps that out is beneficial.”

The restored playa also creates wildlife habitat. Rather than an area that floods and grows weeds, the basin and its grass buffer now provide space for native plants, migratory birds and other wildlife.

“When we farm them, it destroys that habitat,” Emig said. “If playa restoration becomes more widespread, you’re going to see better wildlife habitat.”

Economics and longevity

For Emig, the decision was not driven solely by environmental goals. It was also about stewardship and long-term viability.

“Land stewardship translates into longevity of the farm operation,” he said. “Keeping soil where it belongs.”

In the High Plains, wind erosion and intense rainfall events can move sediment quickly. By restoring the playa and planting perennial grasses, Emig reduced the likelihood of soil loss and eliminated the repeated input costs — seed, fertilizer, fuel — associated with planting a crop unlikely to survive.

“Sometimes we as farmers are a little stubborn about wanting to farm the most acres that you can,” Emig said. “But sometimes Mother Nature’s best left to do what she does best.”

In northwest Kearny County, farmer Ryan Barnhardt realized the low pockets in his dryland fields, called playas, weren’t helping his operation. Those temporary wetlands either burned up or flooded out, leaving bare ground and no real production.

About a decade ago, Ryan enrolled those areas in a playa restoration program through the USDA Conservation Reserve Program Migratory Birds, Butterflies and Pollinators State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) practice. The program restored the playas and added surrounding grass buffers.

“Those acres were never productive,” he said. “Putting them into grass made sense.”

Restored playas now catch rainfall, reduce erosion, and help water soak back into the Ogallala Aquifer. Wildlife quickly returned. Pheasants, quail, geese, and other birds now use the grass and wetland basins throughout the year. “It’s great to see the bird life out there,” Ryan said.

Financially, he says the conservation payments are far more reliable than trying to farm those acres. “You get a more consistent income stream than what those spots ever produced,” he said.

For other producers considering playa conservation, his advice is simple: look into it. “The recharge and the wildlife alone make it worth it,” he said.

By turning marginal acres into habitat and recharge zones, Ryan Barnhardt is proving conservation can benefit both the land and the operation.

Western Kansas farmer Mike O’Brate has known the low, flood-prone playa lakes on his fields his entire life. After decades of trying to farm them and watching wells decline, he enrolled about 600 acres of playas and buffer habitat in the USDA Conservation Reserve Program Migratory Birds, Butterflies and Pollinators State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) practice.

“The payment was $125 an acre,” Mike said. “I can’t farm them for that. Those acres take too much water.”

Restoring the playas means less fertilizer and seed on ground that rarely paid off, and more wildlife. Antelope, deer, pheasants and ducks now use the restored areas. “My wildlife is coming back,” he said.

As a longtime board member of Kansas Groundwater Management District 3, Mike sees playa restoration as one way to help the Ogallala Aquifer. “It may take years for the water to soak in, but you’ve got to start somewhere,” he said.

At 73, he’s proud of the acres he’s enrolled in conservation programs and hopes more producers consider doing the same.

In western Kansas, farmer Joe Zellner Jr. made a major shift in how he manages his land. He shut off every irrigation well he owned. After decades of pumping, declining well levels and rising fuel and labor costs convinced him it was time for a new approach.

“I felt like we were just pulling more water out and the table kept going down,” he said. “I want to have drinking water in the future.”

Joe also restored the playas on his farm, wet spots that rarely produced a crop, by enrolling them in the conservation programs. He planted them to grass and stopped trying to farm through them.

“I was losing money on those acres,” he said. “Putting them into grass just made sense.”

Restoring the playas helps capture rainfall, protect topsoil, and add water back to the Ogallala Aquifer. It also saves Joe time and inputs. “You’re not spending money on seed, chemical and fertilizer in a place that isn’t productive,” he said.

Joe believes conservation practices like no-till and playa restoration will shape the future of farming in his region. “Your yield may be less, but your profit may be more,” he said. “And long-term, land managed with conservation will hold more value.”

For Joe, turning off the wells and restoring his playas isn’t just about today. It’s about keeping western Kansas farmable for the next generation.