A geologic overview of the groundwater supply underlying Cheyenne County, Nebraska (1997)

Diffendal, Robert F.

English

Diffendal, Robert F., Jr.

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Papers in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of 1997 Ground Water Robert F. Diffendal University of Nebraska-Lincoln, rdiffendal1@unl.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/geosciencefacpub  Part of the Earth Sciences Commons Diffendal, Robert F., "Ground Water" (1997). Papers in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. 90. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/geosciencefacpub/90 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Papers in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Cheyenne County, Nebraska 3Ground WaterR.F. Diffendal, Jr., research geologist, Conservation and SurveyDivision, University of Nebraska, helped prepare this section.The Brule Formation, which underlies all ofCheyenne County, generally yields only small amountsof water to wells. Large initial yields often followed byrapid declines during pumping may come from wells infractured parts of the Brule Formation. Wells along theeroded valley sides and on the floors of the valley ofLodgepole Creek and Sidney Draw may be supplied bywater from this aquifer.The Ash Hollow Formation (Ogallala Group)underlies the tablelands and the sides of valleys alongLodgepole Creek and Sidney Draw and also underliesPublished in Soil Survey of Cheyenne County, Nebraska United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service,  in cooperation with University of Nebraska, Conservation and Survey Division, 19974the valley floor of Lodgepole Creek west of Point ofRocks. Records of test drilling and drilling for irrigationwells indicate that the formation varies from 0 to morethan 500 feet in thickness in the county and is thickestin the northern half of the county.The Ash Hollow Formation is completely saturatedbelow the water table. The saturated thickness wherethe formation occurs is known to be from less than 35to more than 290 feet from one part of the county toanother. Potential yields to wells vary from little or noyield to more than 1,000 gallons per minute, dependingon the thickness of the formation and the kinds ofsediments and rocks encountered.Unconsolidated silts, sands, and pebbles ofQuaternary age (younger than 2.8 million years old) areimportant sources of ground water in the valleys.Municipal supplies for some farms, ranches, villages,and towns along Lodgepole Creek come from theseunits at least in part.Municipalities in the county obtain their water fromone or more of these three geologic units. Sidneyobtains most or all of its water from fractured zones inthe Brule Formation. Potter, Gurley, and Dalton obtainwater from the Ash Hollow Formation. Lodgepole'swater supply comes from Quaternary alluvium.New wells drilled for irrigation and municipal andindustrial supplies are recorded annually. In 1983 thecumulative total of registered irrigation wells in thecounty was 444, of which 222 used center-pivotsystems for water distribution. Most of these wells arein the northern half of the county and along Lodgepoleand Cottonwood Creeks and along Sidney Draw. Acumulative total of 31 municipal wells and 13 industrialwells had been drilled in Cheyenne County through1983.The supply of ground water is adequate for theneeds of most domestic and livestock users in thecounty. Reliable supplies are most difficult to obtainfrom areas where the Brule Formation is near thesurface. The depth to water varies greatly across thecounty. The water table occurs at less than 10 feetbeneath the surface in areas on the floor of LodgepoleCreek, while it is more than 300 feet beneath thesurface of the tablelands at many places.Water quality throughout the county is generallygood. The water ranges from hard to very hard butotherwise is low in mineralization.Contamination of water supplies is a potentialproblem. Chemicals introduced during agriculturalactivities, human and animal wastes that have beenimproperly disposed, leaking fuel storage tanks, andcommercial and household chemicals that have beencarelessly discarded are possible sources ofSoil Surveycontamination. Water supplies should be checkedperiodically to determine if a problem is developing,particularly in areas where the sources just mentionedare present.Published in Soil Survey of Cheyenne County, Nebraska United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service,  in cooperation with University of Nebraska, Conservation and Survey Division, 1997

Ground Water

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
Papers in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of 
1997 
Ground Water 
Robert F. Diffendal 
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, rdiffendal1@unl.edu 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/geosciencefacpub 
 Part of the Earth Sciences Commons 
Diffendal, Robert F., "Ground Water" (1997). Papers in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. 90. 
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/geosciencefacpub/90 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of at 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Papers in the Earth and 
Atmospheric Sciences by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 
Cheyenne County, Nebraska 3
Ground Water
R.F. Diffendal, Jr., research geologist, Conservation and Survey
Division, University of Nebraska, helped prepare this section.
The Brule Formation, which underlies all of
Cheyenne County, generally yields only small amounts
of water to wells. Large initial yields often followed by
rapid declines during pumping may come from wells in
fractured parts of the Brule Formation. Wells along the
eroded valley sides and on the floors of the valley of
Lodgepole Creek and Sidney Draw may be supplied by
water from this aquifer.
The Ash Hollow Formation (Ogallala Group)
underlies the tablelands and the sides of valleys along
Lodgepole Creek and Sidney Draw and also underlies
Published in Soil Survey of Cheyenne County, Nebraska 
United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service,  
in cooperation with University of Nebraska, Conservation and Survey Division, 1997
4the valley floor of Lodgepole Creek west of Point of
Rocks. Records of test drilling and drilling for irrigation
wells indicate that the formation varies from 0 to more
than 500 feet in thickness in the county and is thickest
in the northern half of the county.
The Ash Hollow Formation is completely saturated
below the water table. The saturated thickness where
the formation occurs is known to be from less than 35
to more than 290 feet from one part of the county to
another. Potential yields to wells vary from little or no
yield to more than 1,000 gallons per minute, depending
on the thickness of the formation and the kinds of
sediments and rocks encountered.
Unconsolidated silts, sands, and pebbles of
Quaternary age (younger than 2.8 million years old) are
important sources of ground water in the valleys.
Municipal supplies for some farms, ranches, villages,
and towns along Lodgepole Creek come from these
units at least in part.
Municipalities in the county obtain their water from
one or more of these three geologic units. Sidney
obtains most or all of its water from fractured zones in
the Brule Formation. Potter, Gurley, and Dalton obtain
water from the Ash Hollow Formation. Lodgepole's
water supply comes from Quaternary alluvium.
New wells drilled for irrigation and municipal and
industrial supplies are recorded annually. In 1983 the
cumulative total of registered irrigation wells in the
county was 444, of which 222 used center-pivot
systems for water distribution. Most of these wells are
in the northern half of the county and along Lodgepole
and Cottonwood Creeks and along Sidney Draw. A
cumulative total of 31 municipal wells and 13 industrial
wells had been drilled in Cheyenne County through
1983.
The supply of ground water is adequate for the
needs of most domestic and livestock users in the
county. Reliable supplies are most difficult to obtain
from areas where the Brule Formation is near the
surface. The depth to water varies greatly across the
county. The water table occurs at less than 10 feet
beneath the surface in areas on the floor of Lodgepole
Creek, while it is more than 300 feet beneath the
surface of the tablelands at many places.
Water quality throughout the county is generally
good. The water ranges from hard to very hard but
otherwise is low in mineralization.
Contamination of water supplies is a potential
problem. Chemicals introduced during agricultural
activities, human and animal wastes that have been
improperly disposed, leaking fuel storage tanks, and
commercial and household chemicals that have been
carelessly discarded are possible sources of
Soil Survey
contamination. Water supplies should be checked
periodically to determine if a problem is developing,
particularly in areas where the sources just mentioned
are present.
Published in Soil Survey of Cheyenne County, Nebraska 
United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service,  
in cooperation with University of Nebraska, Conservation and Survey Division, 1997


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