Playa Lakes William Grooms

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Playa LakesWilliam Grooms
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What are Playa Lakes?

• shallow, depressional wetlands that are generally
  round and small,
• average 17 acres in size.
• They are a precious resource for wildlife,
  providing oases of water and forage in an
  otherwise arid and desert-like landscape.

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Playas are unique to the Great Plains

• More than 50,000 playas are found in the western
  Great Plains.
• More than 95 percent of the world's playa lakes
  occur in the boundaries of eastern Colorado, New
  Mexico, western Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and in
  the Texas Panhandle.
• They have clay-lined basins and naturally fill
  with water periodically from rainfall and its
  associated runoff.

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How playa lakes work
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• Precipitation is inconsistent in the playa lake
  region and drought is a common occurrence.
• The resulting wet-dry cycle of playas produces a
  highly diverse plant community.

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• These plants produce large quantities of
  nutritious seeds, essential for waterfowl and
  other birds which migrate and winter in the
  region.
• Playa lakes are a vital habitat for wildlife,
  especially for migrating birds that depend on the
  region's resources to "refuel" for their journey
  between Canada, the United States and South
  America.

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Playas support....
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37 mammal species
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more than 200 bird species

• Sandhill Cranes
• Northern Pintails
• Mountain Plovers

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13 amphibian species,
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124 aquatic invertibrate taxa
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more than 340 species of plants
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Given the diversity of wildlife found on playas,
the wetlands offer rich experiences for
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wildlife-watchers
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Photographers
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hunters
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naturalists
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More than 99 percent of playas are privately
owned
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Playas are profitable

• Playa lakes and other prairie wetlands are
  literally multi-million dollar resources.

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Farm Bill, state and federal grants

• more than 2 billion has been set aside for
  conserving prairie wetlands.

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Playas can also be sources of supplementary
income for landowners

• wildlife viewing,
• hunting,
• tourism and recreational activities

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Playas are the exclusive source of recharge for
the Ogallala Aquifer.
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Aquifer recharge

• occurs through playa basins and along the
  perimeter of playas. When a dry playa receives a
  surge of water from rainfall or associated
  runoff, water flows into the playa basin and
  penetrates the clay layer through large cracks
  and plant root openings in the floor.

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Recharge cont.

• These cracks eventually swell shut and become
  impermeable as the clay absorbs more water.  Once
  a playa is full, recharge also occurs along playa
  perimeters where clay is thin or non-existent.

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The Ogallala has long been a major source of
water for

• municipalities,
• industries
• agricultural development

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In 1949, the Ogallala irrigated four million
acres
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by 1997 it irrigated 14 million acres
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• Although current dry land farming techniques have
  resulted in reduced pumping, the amount of
  groundwater being withdrawn still greatly
  surpasses the aquifer's nature rate of recharge.

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• More than 70 percent of playas have been altered
  from their natural state by tilling, pitting,
  intentional filling or filling through
  sedimentation.

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• sedimentation is the most critical threat to
  playa function, especially in regard to
  groundwater recharge. Sedimentation occurs on all
  playas that are surrounded by tilled lands.
• Water from rain and irrigation carry soil into
  playas, gradually filling them. Sediment build up
  reduces the volume of water playas can hold and
  increases the rate of water loss through
  evaporation, thus limiting recharge.

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An unsettling trend.

• recent measurements show a 1.35-ft. drop per year
  in the water table of aquifers associated with
  playa lakes

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Playa Lakes Joint Venture

• helps private landowners identify funding and
  outreach opportunities, and provides the
  necessary technical assistance to take advantage
  of these programs.
• Established in 1989, the (PLJV) was the seventh
  habitat joint venture to implement the goals of
  the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

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• This public/private partnership is committed to
  the conservation of playa basins, saline lakes,
  marshes, riparian areas and associated watersheds
  through cooperative efforts with landowners.

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• Through grants and partnerships with state and
  federal agencies, conservation organizations,
  corporations, communities and individuals have
  enhanced, restored or protected more than 100,000
  acres of habitat.

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• Playa lakes are a keystone aspect of the
  ecosystems in which they occur.
• Under current use and conditions these aquifers
  are being lost.
• Education and conservation are the key to
  reversing current trends and saving these vital
  habitats.

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Any Questions?