Playa lakes are a unique phenomenon largely unnoticed by casual observers except during rain events when they can hold water for days or even weeks – creating a nuisance for farmers and a temporary haven for wildlife. Little has been known about these land forms, ranging in size from an acre or two, upwards to a few hundred acres, but that’s changing as a result of more intensive study by hydrologists and state agriculture departments across the Southern High Plains that overlays the Ogallala Aquifer. They are being viewed as part of the solution to the region’s diminishing groundwater supply. The Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) program is actively promoting an effort to restore playa lakes in Wichita and Greeley counties as part of an effort to increase the availability of groundwater for municipal use and domestic wells. It’s hoped that the program can be expanded into Scott and Lane counties, which are also part of Groundwater Management District No. 1.
Source: Scott County Record.
