Nebraska Bird Partnership

The ephemeral nature of playas, low regional recharge rates, and a strong reliance on ground water from the Ogallala aquifer has prompted many questions regarding the contribution of recharge from playas to the regional aquifer. To address these questions and concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Playa Lakes Joint Venture, conducted a review and synthesis of the more than 175 publications about recharge rates and chemistry beneath playas and interplaya settings.

Download USGS Circular 1333 "Recharge Rates and Chemistry Beneath Playas of the High Plains Aquifer—A Literature Review and Synthesis".

Although a number of questions remain regarding the controls on recharge rates and chemistry beneath playas, the results from most published studies indicate that recharge rates beneath playas are substantially (1 to 2 orders of magnitude) higher than recharge rates beneath interplaya settings. The synthesis supports the conceptual model that playas are important zones of recharge to the Ogallala aquifer and are not strictly evaporative pans. The major findings of this synthesis yield science-based implications for the protection and management of playas and ground-water resources of the Ogallala aquifer and directions for future research.

Contact the Playa Lakes Joint Venture to request copies of the four-page executive summary that includes the abstract, introduction and summary of major findings.