KU News Service
LAWRENCE — Beginning in mid-June and continuing until early July, residents of west-central Kansas may see a low-flying helicopter towing a large hexagonal frame. This unusual arrangement is part of a project to map groundwater conditions in the Ogallala aquifer in Western Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 1.
Through funding from the Governor’s Office and the Kansas Water Office, GMD1 and the Kansas Geological Survey, working with Aqua Geo Frameworks LLC of Fort Laramie, Wyoming, have planned the helicopter flights to develop a better understanding of the Ogallala aquifer. In 2024, AGF performed 2,500 miles of similar airborne electromagnetic surveys in Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 4.
Scientific equipment will hang below the helicopter 100 to 200 feet above ground. The equipment is designed to map geologic structures and groundwater resources to depths of 1,000 feet below land surface. The helicopter will be flown at about 50 mph by pilots who are specially trained for low-level flying and have a great deal of experience with airborne electromagnetic surveys. Flights will not occur over residential areas and other buildings, livestock feeding operations or wind turbines.
The Ogallala aquifer is the principal water resource for agricultural, industrial and municipal use in GMD1. Intensive pumping of water from the aquifer over the last 60-plus years has resulted in large groundwater level declines in Wallace, Greeley, Wichita, Scott and Lane counties.
The information obtained in these flights will allow GMD1 and the Kansas Geological Survey to better assess the nature and continuity of water-yielding materials in the aquifer.
The ultimate objective of the project is to obtain information that will assist GMD1 in developing strategies for charting more sustainable paths for the Ogallala aquifer in the district, according to project organizers.
A video describing previous airborne electromagnetic surveys in Nebraska is available on the GMD1 website.
The Kansas Geological Survey is a nonregulatory research and service division of the University of Kansas. KGS scientists study and provide information about the state’s geologic resources and hazards, including groundwater, oil and natural gas, critical materials, and earthquakes.