Restoring Playas Can Help Support Goodland’s Water Future

Press Release from Tomorrow's Water

The City of Goodland has partnered with Tomorrow’s Water, a multi-state, multi-partner effort to support playa restoration in Sherman County. This collaborative effort focuses on restoring playas, which are natural recharge wetlands, to help sustain local water supplies and support wildlife habitat.

Playas — also called mud holes, buffalo wallows, and lagoons — are round, shallow depressions found at the lowest point of a watershed. Their basins, which are lined with clay soil, collect and hold water from rainfall and runoff, creating temporary wetlands.

Because playas are recharge wetlands, water flows through them to the underlying aquifer. Playas are a primary source of groundwater recharge, contributing up to 95 percent of water flowing to the aquifer, with recharge rates in playas 10 to 1,000 times higher than under other areas.

Within 10 miles of Goodland, there are 1,321 playa acres that can potentially be restored. If all playa acres within this area are restored, they could contribute an estimated 107 million gallons of recharge to the aquifer annually.

Although playas are a primary source of recharge, irrigation pumping from the aquifer greatly exceeds groundwater recharge from playas. Communities can proactively address a declining water supply by restoring playas and adopting irrigation practices that reduce the impacts from aquifer overuse. Once water use has been reduced, healthy playas can help stabilize groundwater levels over time.

Tomorrow’s Water, which supports these efforts across Kansas, is an adaptive, collaborative process in which local communities partner with conservation organizations to create an actionable plan to stabilize their water supply — with playa conservation playing a key role alongside broader water quantity and quality strategies.

Landowners in Sherman County can receive financial and technical assistance to restore playas on their land.

“Restoring playas on your land can strengthen your operation and protect water resources for future generations,” said Bernadatte Mills, Playa & Water Conservation Outreach Specialist for Northwest Kansas. “Our team can work with you to help determine how playas can contribute to your operation and your community.”

For additional information about playas and the benefits they provide, visit PlayasWorkForKansas.com/Tomorrows-Water.

To discuss programs and options that can help meet your conservation objectives, contact Bernadette Mills, Playa & Water Conservation Outreach Specialist for Northwest Kansas at bmills.kacd@gmail.com or 785-772-5763.