playas in the texas high plains...playas and groundwater • recharge of aquifers associated with...
TRANSCRIPT
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Playas in the Texas High Plains
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Texas High Plains• Llano Estacado (Staked Plains)
– Caprock Escarpment
• Flat to gently rolling
• Shortgrass prairie
– Little surface water
– Semi-arid
• Last in settlement
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Playas
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What are Playas?
• Clay-lined basins, which are the lowest
point of a self-contained watershed.
– Runoff dependent
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Playas• Ephemeral
• Dynamic
• Diverse
• Unappreciated
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Playas• Ephemeral
• Dynamic
• Diverse
• Unappreciated
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Playas• Ephemeral
• Dynamic
• Diverse
• Unappreciated
• Average 17
acres
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Playas of Texas • 23,037 playas in Texas
• 80,000+ in Great Plains
• Source of focused recharge
for the Ogallala Aquifer
• Vital to migratory shore
birds and waterfowl
Source : PLJV
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Poll Question 1
• Characteristics of a playa include
– A) Self-contained watershed
– B) Clay-lined basin
– C) Ephemeral
– D) All of the above
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Playas• Nature’s moist-soil unit
• Great amounts of
diversity when wet
– Plants – 350 species
– Animals
• Birds – 185 species
• Mammals – 37 species
• Amphibians – 13 species
• Invertebrates
• Dry periods are vital to
their function
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Common Wetland Plants
Barnyard Grass
Bulrush
Pink Smartweed
ArrowheadCurly Dock
Green Sprangletop
PondweedJohnsongrassYellow Nutsedge
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Wildlife
Great Plains Toad Barred Tiger Salamander
Plains Spadefoot Toad
Northern Pintail
American Avocet
Sandhill CraneLong-billed Curlew
Mallard
Fairy Shrimp
Tadpole Shrimp
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Aquifer Recharge via Playas
Created by: Texan by Nature and PLJV
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Playas and Groundwater• Recharge of aquifers associated with playas is slow
– 10-50 years
• Rate of recharge through playas is 10-100x greater than through
other areas
• Healthy playas ensure we put cleaner water into the aquifer
• The Ogallala is compartmentalized
– Water flowing through your playa benefits your wells
• 3” of recharge through a 4 acre playa produces 326,000 gallons
of water
– Enough to support a family of 4 for 2 years
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Health of the Ogallala
• Massive historical declines
– Cropland irrigation
– Residential use
Source: http://factsheets.okstate.edu
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Poll Question 2
• Primary channels of recharge through a
playa includes
– A) Fissures in a dry clay pan
– B) Percolation through saturated clay soils
– C) Annular ring
– D) A and C
– E) All of the above
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Playas in Texas
• 23,037 playas
– 4,080 functional
– 5,631 functional but
at risk
– 13,326 not
functional
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Functional
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Functional - at Risk
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Not Functional
• Lacks grass
buffer
• Silt deposits
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Not Functional
• Pitted and
trenched
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Not Functional
• Structures
impeding
water
• Pitting
• Inadequate
grass
buffer
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Poll Question 3
• Which factor does not affect playa
functionality?
– A) Lack of an adequate grass buffer
– B) Structures impeding run-off
– C) Water wells within the watershed
– D) Pitting within the basin
– E) Siltation of the basin
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Texas Playa Conservation Initiative
(TxPCI)
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TxPCI Program Development• Partnership created in 2015
• Pit backfilling in grass buffered
playas and/or grass buffer plantings
• Producer / landowner friendly
program
– TxPCI pays 100% cost of
restoration
– We hire and pay the contractor
directly
– Pay one-time incentive payment
– 10 year agreement attached –
prevents future pit creation
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Restoration
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Restoration
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Restoration
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How to get Involved
• Spread the word
• If you own a playa,
let’s get to work
•
PlayasWorkForTexans.com
Don Kahl
(806) 475-1308