# Kansas groundwater management districts — water use

> The five groundwater management districts and the points outside them, with thirty-four years of reported use each.

## The management districts

Five districts govern groundwater in the parts of Kansas where it is under pressure. A quarter of the points on file sit outside all of them.

| District | Points | Share |
|---|---|---|
| [Outside any district](/district/outside-any-district.md) | 25,058 | 42.0% |
| [Southwest Kansas GMD 3](/district/southwest-kansas-gmd-3.md) | 15,740 | 26.4% |
| [Big Bend GMD 5](/district/big-bend-gmd-5.md) | 6,850 | 11.5% |
| [Northwest Kansas GMD 4](/district/northwest-kansas-gmd-4.md) | 4,377 | 7.3% |
| [Equus Beds GMD 2](/district/equus-beds-gmd-2.md) | 4,186 | 7.0% |
| [Western Kansas GMD 1](/district/western-kansas-gmd-1.md) | 3,404 | 5.7% |

### What each one is

#### [Western Kansas GMD 1](/district/western-kansas-gmd-1.md)

the westernmost district, over the High Plains aquifer, where decline has been measured for decades.

#### [Equus Beds GMD 2](/district/equus-beds-gmd-2.md)

the Equus Beds, which supply Wichita as well as irrigation.

#### [Southwest Kansas GMD 3](/district/southwest-kansas-gmd-3.md)

the largest irrigated district in the state, and the one where the Ogallala has fallen furthest.

#### [Northwest Kansas GMD 4](/district/northwest-kansas-gmd-4.md)

the north-west, where the first Local Enhanced Management Areas were set up to slow decline.

#### [Big Bend GMD 5](/district/big-bend-gmd-5.md)

the Big Bend of the Arkansas River, where surface and ground water are closely tied.

#### [Outside any district](/district/outside-any-district.md)

no groundwater management district covers this point.

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Página: https://ks-water-use.pages.dev/district/
Fonte: Kansas water use — Kansas Geological Survey, from the annual reports collected by the Division of Water Resources
Recolha: 2026-08-22