Publications

Reports for the High Plains Water-Level Monitoring Study (HPWLMS) were generated annually from 1988 to 1995 and generally every two years from 1997 to 2009 to report water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer from predevelopment to the reporting year. For 2000, a special type of USGS report, a Circular, was generated to present information for the general public on changes in water in storage from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2000 and on groundwater management approaches used by the States in the High Plains region.

Figure 12. Well locations and depth to water in the predevelopment period for wells screened in the High Plains aquifer. (Click image for larger version).

The "predevelopment" water level in the aquifer is defined as the water level in the aquifer before extensive groundwater pumping for irrigation, or about 1950. The predevelopment water level was generally estimated by using the earliest water-level measurement in more than 20,000 wells (figure 12) (McGuire and others, 2003). Depths to water in the predevelopment period ranged from land surface to more than 300 feet below land surface.

In the 1988 to 1999 reports, the maps of long-term water-level changes were for the period spring 1980 to spring of the report year. In these reports, the change in water in storage from predevelopment to the report year is calculated by using a map of water-level changes, predevelopment to 1980 (Gutentag and others, 1984), with the report's map of water-level changes, 1980 to the report year.

In the 2000 to 2013 reports, the map of long-term water-level changes is for the period predevelopment to spring of the report year. In these reports, the change in water in storage is calculated directly from the report's maps of water-level changes. In 2002, an extra HPWLMS report was generated with maps of water-level changes from spring 1980 to spring 2002. A network of 8,613 wells was used to monitor water levels in the High Plains aquifer in 2013 (McGuire, 2014).

High Plains Water-Level Monitoring Study Publications

2013 publication brief

• Water-level and storage changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2013 and 2011-13

2013 report and digital data file

• McGuire, V.L., 2014, Water-Level Changes and Change in Water in Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2013 and 2011–13: U.S. Geolgoical Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5218

2011 report and digital data file

• McGuire, V.L., 2012, Water-Level and Storage Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2011 and 2009-11: U.S. Geolgoical Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5291

2009 reports

• McGuire, V.L., 2011, Water-Level Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2009, 2007-08, and 2008-09 and Change in Water in Storage, Predevelopment to 2009: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5089
• McGuire, V.L., 2011, Changes in Water Levels and Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2009: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-2011-3069

2007 reports and digital data file

• McGuire, V.L., 2009, Water-Level Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2007, 2005-06, and 2006-07: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5019
• McGuire, V.L., 2009, Changes in Water Levels and Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-2009-3005

2005 reports

• McGuire, V.L., 2007, Water-Level Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2005 and 2003 to 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5324
• McGuire, V.L., 2007, Changes in Water Levels and Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-2007-3029

2003 report

• McGuire, V.L., 2004, Water-Level Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2003 and 2002 to 2003: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-2004-3097

2002 report

• McGuire, V.L., 2004, Water-level changes in the High Plains Aquifer, predevelopment to 2002, 1980 to 2002, and 2001 to 2002: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-2004-3026

2001 report

• McGuire, V.L., 2003, Water-level changes in the High Plains Aquifer, predevelopment to 2001, 1999 to 2000, and 2000 to 2001: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-078-03

2000 report

• McGuire, V.L., Johnson, M.R., Schieffer, R.L., Stanton, J.S., Sebree, S.K., and Verstraeten, I.M., 2003, Water in storage and approaches to ground-water management, High Plains aquifer, 2000: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1243

1999 report

• McGuire, V.L., 2001, Water-level changes in High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1999: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-029-01

1998 Web page

• McGuire, V.L., and Fischer, B.C., Water-level changes in High Plains aquifer, 1980-98: U.S. Geological Survey data

1997 report and digital data files

• Fischer, B.C., Kollasch, K.M., McGuire, V.L., 2000, Digital map of saturated thickness in the High Plains Aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1996 to 1997: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2000-300
• Fischer, B. C.; Kollasch, K. M.; McGuire, V. L., 2000, Digital map of water-level changes in the High Plains Aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1980 to 1997: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2000-96
• McGuire, V.L., and Fischer, B.C., 1999, Water-level changes, 1980 to 1997, and saturated thickness, 1996-97, in the High Plains aquifer: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 124-99

1996 Web page and digital data file

• Fischer, B.C., McGuire, V.L., 1999, Digital data set of water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1980 to 1996: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-198
• McGuire, V.L., Stanton, C.P., and Fischer, B.C., Water-level changes in High Plains aquifer, 1980-96: U.S. Geological Survey data

1995 report and digital data file

• Fischer, B.C., McGuire, V.L., 1999, Digital data set of water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1980 to 1995: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-197
• McGuire, V.L., and Sharpe, J.B., 1997, Water-level changes in High Plains aquifer-predevelopment to 1995: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4081
• McGuire, V.L., and Sharpe, J.B., 1997, Water-level changes in High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1995: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 068-97

1994 reports

• Dugan, J.T., and Sharpe, J.B., 1996, Water-Level Changes in the High Plains aquifer, Predevelopment to 1994: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4208
• Dugan, J.T., and Sharpe, J.B., 1996, Water-Level Changes in the High Plains Aquifer, 1980 to 1994: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 215-95

1993 report

• Dugan, J.T., and Cox, D.A., 1994, Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer-Predevelopment to 1993: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4157

1992 report

• Dugan, J.T., McGrath, Timothy, and Zelt, R.B., 1994, Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer-Predevelopment to 1992: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4027

1991 report

• McGrath, Timothy, and Dugan, J.T., 1993, Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer-Predevelopment to 1991: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 93-4088

1990 report

• Dugan, J.T., and Schild, D.E., 1992, Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer-Predevelopment to 1990: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 91-4165

1989 report

• Dugan, J.T., Schild, D.E., and Kastner, W.M., 1990, Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer underlying parts of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas-Predevelopment through nonirrigation season 1988-89: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 90-4153

1988 report

• Kastner, W.M., Schild, D.E., and Spahr, D.S., 1989, Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer underlying parts of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas-Predevelopment through nonirrigation season 1987-1988: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 89-4073