Ogallala Aquiferinteractive map
Aquifer Facts
- Aquifer type: unconfined
- Area of aquifer: 36,293 square miles
- Proportion of aquifer with groundwater conservation districts: 86 percent
- Number of counties containing the aquifer: 49
Summary
The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States and is a major aquifer of Texas underlying much of the High Plains region. The aquifer consists of sand, gravel, clay, and silt and has a maximum thickness of 800 feet. Freshwater saturated thickness averages 95 feet.
Water to the north of the Canadian River is generally fresh, with total dissolved solids typically less than 400 milligrams per liter. However, water quality diminishes to the south, where large areas contain total dissolved solids in excess of 1,000 milligrams per liter. Increased salinity may be associated with evaporative concentration of groundwater in saline playa lakes in the southern portion of the aquifer, up flow of more saline groundwater from the underlying Dockum Aquifer and other sources./p>
The Ogallala Aquifer provides significantly more water for users than any other aquifer in the state. The availability of this water is critical to the economy of the region, as approximately 95 percent of groundwater pumped is used for irrigated agriculture. Throughout much of the aquifer, groundwater withdrawals exceed the amount of recharge, and water levels have declined fairly consistently through time. Although water level declines in excess of 300 feet have occurred in several areas over the last 50 to 60 years, the rate of decline has slowed, and water levels have risen in a few areas.
Reports
| ID | Date | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Aquifers Study | 12/31/2016 | Legislative Report | Texas Aquifers Study: Groundwater Quantity, Quality, Flow, and Contributions to Surface Water |
| R-111 | 3/11/1970 | TWDB numbered report | An Investigation of Clouds and Precipitation for the Texas High Plains |
| R-116 | 5/1/1970 | TWDB numbered report | Quantity and Chemical Quality of Low Flow in the Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River near Wayside, Texas, February 6-9,1968 |
| R-288 | 5/1/1984 | TWDB numbered report | Evaluating the Ground-Water Resources of the High Plains of Texas, Volumes 1-4 |
| R-341 | 9/1/1993 | TWDB numbered report | The High Plains Aquifer System of Texas, 1980 to 1990 - Overview and Projections |
| R-315 | 11/1/1989 | TWDB numbered report | Evaluation of Ground-Water Resources in Dallam County, Texas |
| R-355 | 1/1/2003 | TWDB numbered report | Evaluation of Enhanced Recharge Potential to the Ogallala Aquifer in the Brazos River Basin, Hale County, Texas |
| HA-10 | 1/1/1998 | Hydrologic atlas | Updated Water-Quality Evaluation of the Ogallala Aquifer, Including Selected Metallic and Non-Metallic Inorganic Constituents |
| R-010 | 12/1/1965 | TWDB numbered report | Studies of Playa Lakes in the High Plains of Texas |
| B-6010 | 11/1/1960 | Groundwater bulletin | Geology and Ground-Water Resources of Hale County, Texas |
| R-015 | 2/1/1966 | TWDB numbered report | Ground-Water Resources of Gaines County, Texas |
| B-6310 | 12/1/1973 | Groundwater bulletin | Reconnaissance Investigation of the Ground-Water Resources of the Brazos River Basin, Texas |
| R-360 | 2/9/2004 | TWDB numbered report | Conference Proceedings: Aquifers of the Edwards Plateau |
| R-342 | 8/1/1993 | TWDB numbered report | Water-Quality Evaluation of the Ogallala Aquifer, Texas |
| R-313 | 2/1/1989 | TWDB numbered report | Evaluation of Ground-Water Resources in Briscoe, Hale, and Swisher Counties, Texas |
| R-330 | 7/1/1991 | TWDB numbered report | Evaluation of Ground-Water Resources in the Southern High Plains of Texas |
| R-119 | 7/1/1970 | TWDB numbered report | Ground-Water Resources of Collingsworth County, Texas |
| R-167 | 4/1/1973 | TWDB numbered report | Ground-Water Resources of Hall and Eastern Briscoe Counties, Texas |
| HA-01 | 1/1/1991 | Hydrologic atlas | Water-Level Changes in the High Plains Aquifer of Texas, 1980-1990 |
| GR11-014_MP | 10/4/2011 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Hemphill County UWCD |
| GR11-009_MP | 6/24/2011 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for High Plains UWCD No. 1 |
| GT11-010 | 6/14/2011 | GAM task | Total pumping estimates for the Ogallala, Edwards-Trinity (High Plains), and Dockum aquifers in High Plains UWCD No. 1 |
| GR10-007_MP | 7/20/2010 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Gateway GCD |
| GR09-027 | 6/21/2010 | GAM run | Predictive simulations for the Ogallala and Edwards-Trinity (High Plains) aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 7 |
| GR09-023 | 5/21/2010 | GAM run | Predictive simulation for the Ogallala and Edwards-Trinity (High Plains) aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 2 |
| GR09-018_MP | 7/24/2009 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Llano Estacado UWCD |
| GR09-007_MP | 3/17/2009 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Garza County UWCD |
| GR09-006_MP | 3/17/2009 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for High Plains UWCD No. 1 |
| GR09-005_MP | 3/17/2009 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Sandy Land UWCD |
| GR09-001 | 2/17/2009 | GAM run | Predictive simulations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR09-001_S | 2/26/2009 | GAM run | Predictive simulations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR08-085 | 4/23/2009 | GAM run | Predictive simulations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area2 |
| GR08-085_Add | 5/21/2010 | GAM run | Initial and final water volumes for the simulations presented in GAM Run 08-085 |
| GR08-063_MP | 9/24/2008 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for High Plains UWCD No. 1 |
| GR08-061 | 11/21/2008 | GAM run | Predictive simulation for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 2 |
| GR08-055_MP | 8/1/2008 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Garza County Underground and FWCD |
| GR08-047_MP | 6/27/2008 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Sandy Land UWCD |
| GR08-046_MP | 8/1/2008 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Mesa UWCD |
| GR08-033_MP | 5/28/2008 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Permian Basin UWCD |
| GR08-028_MP | 5/16/2008 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Panhandle GCD |
| GR08-025_MP | 5/21/2008 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Glasscock GCD |
| GR08-018_MP | 5/30/2008 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for South Plains UWCD |
| GR08-016 | 7/31/2008 | GAM run | Predictive simulations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR08-016_S | 9/30/2008 | GAM run | Predictive simulations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR07-044_Rev1 | 2/25/2008 | GAM run | Predictive simulations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 2 |
| GR07-038_Rev1 | 1/15/2008 | GAM run | Volume calculations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR07-031 | 11/11/2007 | GAM run | Volume calculations and pump rates for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR07-019 | 8/10/2007 | GAM run | Analysis using specified depletions for districts in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR07-006_MP | 3/27/2007 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for North Plains GCD |
| GR07-001 | 1/22/2007 | GAM run | Volume calculations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR06-025 | 11/2/2006 | GAM run | Volume calculations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR05-026 | 9/1/2005 | GAM run | Water budget and GIS information for the Ogallala Aquifer in Hemphill County |
| GR05-021 | 6/20/2005 | GAM run | Saturated thickness shapefile for the Ogallala Aquifer in Hemphill County |
| GR05-021_Att | 6/20/2005 | GAM run | Saturated thickness shapefile for the Ogallala Aquifer in Hemphill County (zip file) |
| GR05-016 | 6/12/2005 | GAM run | Saturated thickness maps for the Ogallala Aquifer in Region A |
| GR05-011 | 3/4/2005 | GAM run | Groundwater volumes for the Ogallala Aquifer in Randall and Oldham counties |
| GR05-010 | 3/3/2005 | GAM run | Comparison of groundwater volumes between GR 04-13 and GR 05-09 for the Ogallala Aquifer in Region A |
| GR05-009 | 2/28/2005 | GAM run | Saturated thickness, groundwater volumes, and water level maps for the Ogallala Aquifer in Region A |
| GR05-012 | 4/8/2005 | GAM run | Various pumping scenarios for the Ogallala Aquifer in Hemphill County |
| GR04-016 | 3/21/2005 | GAM run | Water budget and volume of water in storage for Hemphill County using a predictive simulation |
| GR04-015 | 10/21/2004 | GAM run | Saturated thickness map for the Ogallala (north) Aquifer |
| GR04-014 | 9/22/2004 | GAM run | Recharge rates per model cell in the Ogallala (north) Aquifer GAM |
| GR04-014_Att | 9/22/2004 | GAM run | Recharge data for GAM run 04-014 |
| GR04-013 | 9/22/2004 | GAM run | Groundwater in storage for Region A using a 1.25% annual depletion rate |
| GR04-012 | 10/1/2004 | GAM run | Hydraulic conductivity data for the Ogallala Aquifer GAMs |
| GR04-007 | 7/27/2004 | GAM run | Volumetric calculations for all counties in Llano Estacado Regional Water Planning Group |
| GR04-005 | 5/10/2004 | GAM run | Groundwater volume in each county-basin zone of Region O (Llano Estacado) |
| GR04-002 | 4/30/2004 | GAM run | Determine pumping rate equivalent to a volume depletion rate of no more than 1% per year |
| GR03-036 | 3/16/2004 | GAM run | Predictive run with Region O provided increase in irrigation pumping |
| GR03-035 | 6/23/2004 | GAM run | Water table declines and water budget in South Plains UWCD |
| GR04-005_CM | 6/1/2004 | GAM run | Groundwater volume in each county-basin zone of Region O (Llano Estacado) − Clarification memo |
| GR03-023 | 8/22/2003 | GAM run | Water budget and total available storage for the Ogallala Aquifer in Permian Basin UWCD |
| GR03-022 | 3/9/2004 | GAM run | Volume of water in storage and recharge information for the Ogallala Aquifer in High Plains UWCD No. 1 |
| GR03-021 | 11/3/2003 | GAM run | Water table decline maps for the Ogallala Aquifer in South Plains UWCD |
| GR03-020 | 8/22/2003 | GAM run | Water budget and total available storage for the Ogallala Aquifer in Garza County UFWCD |
| GR03-010 | 6/20/2003 | GAM run | Water budget and total available storage for the Ogallala Aquifer in Mesa UWCD |
| GR03-009 | 7/21/2003 | GAM run | Terry county water budget for the Ogallala Aquifer |
| GR11-021_MP | 1/27/2012 | GAM run - Management Plan | Panhandle GCD Management Plan |
| GT10-023 | 6/8/2010 | GAM task | Predictive simulations for the Ogallala and Edwards-Trinity (High Plains) aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 2 |
| GR12-006_MP | 4/11/2012 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for South Plains UWCD |
| GR12-007_MP | 6/13/2012 | GAM run - Management Plan | Permian Basin UWCD Management Plan |
| GR12-008_MP | 6/20/2012 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan data for Mesa UWCD |
| GR12-003_MP | 7/2/2012 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan data for North Plains GCD |
| R-380 | 7/1/2011 | TWDB numbered report | Aquifers of Texas |
| GR12-020_MP | 10/19/2012 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan data for Glasscock GCD |
| CR-0704830686 | 1/1/2009 | Contract report | Groundwater Recharge in the Central High Plains of Texas: Roberts and Hemphill Counties |
| GR07-038_Ver2 | 1/5/2008 | GAM run | Volume calculations for the Ogallala Aquifer in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR05-013_Ver2 | 5/17/2012 | GAM run | Saturated thickness maps for the Ogallala Aquifer in Region A |
| GR12-003_MP_Ver2 | 9/17/2012 | GAM run - Management Plan | Revised management plan data for North Plains GCD |
| GR13-017_MP | 8/7/2013 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan data for Mesquite GCD |
| GR13-022_MP | 8/28/2013 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan data for Sandy Land UWCD |
| GR13-021_MP | 8/28/2013 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan data for Garza County UWCD |
| GT13-025_TERS | 8/20/2013 | GAM task - Total Estimated Recoverable Storage | Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GT13-026_TERS | 9/19/2013 | GAM task - Total Estimated Recoverable Storage | Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 2 |
| GT13-027_TERS | 9/19/2013 | GAM task - Total Estimated Recoverable Storage | Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 3 |
| GT13-029_TERS | 9/19/2013 | GAM task - Total Estimated Recoverable Storage | Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 6 |
| GT13-030_TERS | 10/2/2013 | GAM task - Total Estimated Recoverable Storage | Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 7 |
| GT13-042_TERS | 11/1/2013 | GAM task - Total Estimated Recoverable Storage | Total Estimated Recoverable Storage by county for aquifers in High Plains UWCD No. 1 |
| GR14-002_MP | 6/30/2014 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan data for Llano Estacado UWCD |
| GR14-013_MP | 4/10/2015 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan data for Gateway GCD |
| GT15-006_TERS | 12/17/2015 | GAM task - Total Estimated Recoverable Storage | Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR16-001_MP | 4/28/2016 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Panhandle GCD |
| GR16-013_MP | 8/31/2016 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Permian Basin UWCD |
| GR16-010 | 10/31/2016 | GAM run | Management Plan Information for Hemphill County UWCD |
| GR17-008_MP | 4/7/2017 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for North Plains GCD |
| GR18-004_MP | 3/29/2018 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for South Plains UWCD |
| GR18-010_MP | 5/3/2018 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Mesquite GCD |
| GR18-009_MP | 5/25/2018 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Mesa UWCD |
| GR18-014_MP | 1/15/2019 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Sandy Land UWCD |
| GR18-022_MP | 2/11/2019 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Glasscock GCD |
| GR19-002_MP | 3/1/2019 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for High Plains UWCD #1 |
| GR19-001_MP | 5/3/2019 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Garza County UWCD |
| GR19-017_MP | 7/22/2019 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Llano Estacado UWCD |
| GR19-023_MP | 10/1/2019 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Gateway GCD |
| GR22-001_MP | 2/2/2022 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Hemphil County UWCD |
| GR22-005_MP | 5/23/2022 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Permian Basin UWCD |
| GR22-015_MP | 1/13/2023 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for North Plains GCD |
| GR21-007_MAG | 2/28/2023 | GAM run - MAG | Modeled available groundwater estimates for the High Plains Aquifer System in Groundwater Management Area 1 |
| GR23-007_MP | 5/1/2023 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for South Plains UWCD |
| GR23-013_MP | 07/14/2023 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Mesquite GCD |
| GR23-022_MP | 09/19/2023 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Mesa UWCD |
| GR23-024_MP | 12/14/2023 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Sandy Land Underground Water Conservation District |
| GR24-004_MP | 03/14/2024 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Garza County UWCD |
| GR24-003_MP | 04/02/2024 | GAM run - Management Plan | Management plan information for Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District |