Republican Riber Basin Water and Drought Portal

Ground Water Monitoring

Ground water resources comprise less than one percent of the world's total water supply, and the Republican River Basin is fortunate to be located over parts of the High Plains Aquifer, one of the primary aquifer systems in the United States. It covers more than 174,000 square miles in areas of eight states, including Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. Proper monitoring is essential to ensure that the High Plains aquifer is properly managed and the valuable resources found in it are utilized to best benefit all parties involved.

The USGS Real-time Groundwater Level Network provides real-time monitoring data for several wells across the region. Well water levels are typically recorded at 15-60 minute intervals, and then transmitted to USGS offices every 1 to 4 hours, depending on data availability. Users can also access historical ground water level measurements for many wells across Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska.

The Republican Basin

USGS Real-Time Groundwater Level Network

To enhance real-time ground water monitoring in Nebraska, scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) have retrofitted 52 wells across the state with water level monitoring equipment and a satellite communication system. This system allows real-time ground water level measurements to be recorded and transmitted to a central monitoring station at UNL. The purpose of the monitoring network is to quickly provide reliable data that will support enhanced agricultural and natural resource decision making.

The High Plains Regional Climate Center operates the Automated Weather Data Network (AWDN) to monitor soil moisture at four depths for 51 sites in Nebraska. This data is widely used in agricultural activities, research and modeling. The Conservation and Survey Division within the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln also provides maps of ground water level changes across Nebraska.

Click on the links below to view the maps: