How are water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer monitored in different states?

Water levels in the Ogallala (High Plains) Aquifer are monitored through a coordinated network of observation wells operated by state agencies and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with measurements compiled annually into a multi-state dataset. ^[1][2][3] Each state uses its own well network and measurement protocols, but all contribute data to the USGS High Plains Water-Level Monitoring Study, which produces regular reports on water-level and storage changes. ^[2][3]

How monitoring works overall

• Observation wells: States maintain networks of dedicated groundwater observation wells screened in the Ogallala/High Plains aquifer. ^[4][5]
• Measurement frequency: Most wells are measured annually (typically in winter or early spring when pumping is low), though some are measured more frequently or continuously with automated loggers. ^[2][5][6]
• Data coordination: The USGS assembles water-level measurements from all eight states (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming) and maps changes from predevelopment (~1950) to the present. ^[2][3]
• Reporting: Results are published in periodic USGS reports and made available through online data portals such as the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) and state databases. ^[7][8][1]

State-by-state monitoring approaches

State	Lead agency / program	Typical methods & notes
Colorado	Colorado Division of Water Resources / DNR	Contributes observation-well data to USGS; wells measured periodically and included in High Plains aquifer reports. [9][3]
Kansas	Kansas Geological Survey (KGS)	Maintains a large cooperative water-level network; hundreds of wells (including Ogallala) reported to NGWMN with depth-to-water and construction data. [10][8][6]
Nebraska	Nebraska Department of Natural Resources & USGS Nebraska Water Science Center	Extensive well network; USGS Nebraska leads the High Plains Water-Level Monitoring Study and compiles multi-state data. [2][3]
New Mexico	New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (NMOSE)	Provides Ogallala well data to regional databases; included in USGS multi-state compilations. [3][6]
Oklahoma	Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB)	Measures static water levels annually in Ogallala Panhandle wells since the 1960s; some wells have continuous 1‑hour recorders. [9][5]
South Dakota	SD Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR); Rosebud Sioux Tribe	DENR operates dozens of Ogallala observation wells measured since the late 1970s–early 1980s; the Tribe monitors additional wells, some in real time via satellite links. [4]
Texas	Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)	Maintains Ogallala well data; uses automated groundwater loggers at some sites providing hourly data. [9][6]
Wyoming	State groundwater program (via USGS collaboration)	Contributes Ogallala/High Plains well measurements to the USGS multi-state dataset. [3]

Measurement techniques

• Manual measurements: Many observation wells are measured manually with electric tape or steel tape to record depth to water at a standard time of year. ^[11][5]
• Automated loggers: Some states (e.g., Texas, Oklahoma) install pressure transducers/loggers that record water level continuously (often hourly) and transmit or download data periodically. ^[5][6]
• Well construction standards: Monitoring wells are typically installed following USGS or state protocols (e.g., PVC casing, screened across the water table) to ensure representative aquifer measurements. ^[11]

Where the data live

• USGS High Plains Water-Level Monitoring Study: Central hub for multi-state water-level and storage-change maps and reports. ^[2][3]
• National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN): Real-time portal pulling well construction, depth-to-water, and water-quality data from federal, state, and local sources, including many Ogallala wells. ^[7][8]
• State databases: E.g., KGS (Kansas), TWDB (Texas), OWRB (Oklahoma), SD DENR, etc., each providing downloadable well data and sometimes interactive maps. ^{[10][8][4][6]}

If you’d like, I can pull specific well IDs or data portals for a particular state or county you’re working in.

⁂

• https://www.ngwa.org/detail/news/2024/02/21/usgs-publishes-high-plains-aquifer-report  
• https://ne.water.usgs.gov/projects/HPA/index.html      
• https://ne.water.usgs.gov/ogw/hpwlms/        
• http://ogallalawater.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SD_WhitePaper_Summit4.2018.pdf   
• https://www.owrb.ok.gov/studies/groundwater/pdf/2023-01-Hydrologic-Investigation-Report-of-the-Ogallala-Aquifer-in-Roger-Mills-County-Oklahoma-2020.pdf     
• https://kushal-adhikari.com.np/documents/groundwater-database-for-kansas-new-mexico-oklahoma-and-texas.pdf      
• https://www.usgs.gov/apps/ngwmn/index.jsp  
• https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/OFR/2023/OFR2023-60.pdf    
• https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/owrb/documents/science-and-research/hydrologic-investigations/ogallala-panhandle-water-level-changes-1982-2022.pdf   
• https://www.usgs.gov/apps/ngwmn/provider/KSGS/site/392303101095401/  
• https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/0009/report.pdf  
• https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/456/pdf/DS456.pdf 
• https://catalog.data.gov/?keyword=Ogallala+aquifer 
• https://catalog.data.gov/dataset?tags=ogallala-aquifer 
• https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/doc/ProjectReports/Oklahoma_FinalReport_G21AC10478.pdf 

Message from Charles Aulds

After the first injunction against him in 1616, the scientific revolutionary Galileo Galilei could no longer hold, defend, or teach Copernican astronomy. In 1633, he was tried again, this time by the Roman Inquisition, and was found guilty. Because of his fame and old age, however, the great astronomer was spared the heretic's punishment of torture and death. Instead, Galileo spent the rest of his life under house arrest.

Galileo was so controversial it took 350 years for the Catholic Church to officially concede, in 1992, that he and Copernicus were right, the Earth did orbit the Sun.

On March 12, 1737, ninety-five years after his death, Galileo's grave was robbed. The thief was Anton Francesco Gori, a professor, who cut off three of Galileo's fingers when his body was being moved from a temporary tomb to the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence. The practice of removing dead saints' fingers and other body parts was common, as the relics were believed to hold sacred powers. Gori was honouring Galileo as a martyr, a secular saint of science, who blasted apart old beliefs and liberated us with his thinking.

It was almost two centuries later, in 1927, when the first of Galileo's missing fingers was found. Today, it is on display at Florence's Galileo Museum. There, sealed in a glass jar, defiantly pointing to the heavens, is Galileo's middle finger.
___
from The Reality Bubble: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths, and the Dangerous Illusions that Shape Our World
by Ziya Tong, Penguin Random House (Pub. May 2019)

Colorado River status — August 6, 2026

The Colorado River system is in a critical and deteriorating condition. Total reservoir storage is about 18.9 million acre-feet, or 32% of capacity, down from 22.7 million acre-feet—39%—at the same time last year. ^[1]

Indicator	Current condition
Lake Powell	5.38 million acre-feet, 23% full, elevation 3,522 ft
Lake Mead	7.04 million acre-feet, 27% full, elevation 1,040.96 ft
Combined Powell–Mead storage	About 12.4 million acre-feet, near a historic low
2026 Lake Powell inflow forecast	About 3.5 million acre-feet, only 36% of normal
April–July inflow	About 17% of normal

The most immediate concern is Lake Powell: its elevation is approaching the level at which Glen Canyon Dam’s hydropower generation becomes unreliable. Federal projections indicate that hydropower could potentially cease by early 2027 if levels continue to fall. Lake Mead remains above its 950-foot hydropower threshold, but is also close to record-low levels. ^[2][1]

Why conditions are so poor

The system is being squeezed by three factors:

• A persistently warmer, drier climate has reduced runoff and river flows.
• The 2025–26 winter produced exceptionally weak snowpack and runoff.
• Basin-wide water use remains higher than the river’s long-term reliable supply.

This means the problem is not simply a short-term drought. The reservoirs are being drawn down because the system has been operating with a structural supply-demand deficit for years. ^[2]

Water-management situation

The seven basin states failed to reach agreement on replacement rules for the post-2026 period. The federal framework now being developed would:

• Require major reductions in use by Arizona, California, and Nevada, potentially up to 3 million acre-feet under severe conditions.
• Seek up to 200,000 acre-feet of voluntary conservation from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
• Manage the system through a 10-year framework, with important operating decisions revisited every two years.

The framework is therefore an emergency-management structure rather than a durable settlement. Legal disputes—particularly over whether Upper Basin states must contribute to mandatory reductions—remain possible. ^[2]

Bottom line

The Colorado River is still delivering water, but its safety margin is extremely thin. Current conditions point toward continuing record-low reservoir storage, reduced hydropower reliability, stronger conservation requirements, and intensifying conflict over who must reduce use—especially if the next winter’s snowpack is also poor.

⁂

• https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/weekly.pdf  
• https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/31/colorado-river-breakdown-management-plan-federal-report/   
• https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45546 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River 
• https://www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/ 
• https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/22/climate/lake-mead-powell-record-low-water-colorado-river-drought 
• https://www.audubon.org/news/colorado-river-remains-crisis-continued-uncertainty-water-supply-and-operations 
• https://coloradorivermonitor.com/ 
• https://coriverstorage.com/ 
• https://www.cap-az.com/colorado-river-conditions-dashboard/ 
• https://www.ppic.org/publication/the-colorado-river/ 
• https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/3/800079010/community/colorado-river-blues-decades-of-warnings-sparked-no-serious-response-now-a-megadrought-and-the-climate-crisis-are-forcing-gigantic-water-cuts/ 
• https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/31/colorado-river-breakdown-management-plan-federal-report/ 
• https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-river-plan-spares-upper-basin-states-mandatory-cuts/ 
• https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2026/07/29/colorado-river-negotiations-three/ 
• https://apnews.com/article/colorado-river-drought-reclamation-interior-arizona-california-8a5e69b34135be73224532c54d581e8a 
• https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/nevadas-expected-to-lose-a-quarter-of-its-colorado-river-water-what-happens-next 
• https://www.fox13now.com/news/colorado-river-collaborative/poll-says-overwhelming-majority-worries-about-the-colorado-river 
• https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/water-wars/arizona-reacts-to-colorado-river-water-cuts-proposal/75-15bfb4a1-45cf-4647-acbf-00099bca0c97 
• https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/3/800079010/community/colorado-river-blues-decades-of-warnings-sparked-no-serious-response-now-a-megadrought-and-the-climate-crisis-are-forcing-gigantic-water-cuts/ 
• https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-river-plan-spares-upper-basin-states-mandatory-cuts/ 
• https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2026/07/29/colorado-river-negotiations-three/ 
• https://apnews.com/article/colorado-river-drought-reclamation-interior-arizona-california-8a5e69b34135be73224532c54d581e8a 
• https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/nevadas-expected-to-lose-a-quarter-of-its-colorado-river-water-what-happens-next 
• https://www.fox13now.com/news/colorado-river-collaborative/poll-says-overwhelming-majority-worries-about-the-colorado-river 
• https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/water-wars/arizona-reacts-to-colorado-river-water-cuts-proposal/75-15bfb4a1-45cf-4647-acbf-00099bca0c97 

Latest on Sunterra Markets

Latest update

As of August 6, 2026, Sunterra remains under court-supervised CCAA restructuring, with most of its Alberta grocery, meat-processing, and agricultural businesses being marketed for sale or new investment. Phase one received confidential, non-binding letters of intent; the process has now moved toward binding bids. A recapitalization by the Price family remains possible.^[1]

Major developments

• An Alberta court found Sunterra liable to U.S. lender Compeer Financial for about $35 million in a cheque-kiting case.^[1]
• Sunterra has lost its appeal of that ruling, according to The Western Producer’s latest Sunterra coverage.^[2]
• Sunterra’s downtown Edmonton Commerce Place market closed on May 29, 2026, after more than 30 years. The South Edmonton/Lendrum operation and catering services were reported to be continuing.^[3]
• The company’s U.S. pork-related assets were previously sold to Tyson Foods, while the Canadian operations continue through restructuring.^[2]

Bottom line: Sunterra has not disappeared, but it is being substantially reorganized. The immediate question is whether binding bids or refinancing will preserve some or all of the remaining Canadian businesses.

⁂

• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sunterra-compeer-financial-sale-9.7296199  
• https://www.producer.com/tag/sunterra-group/  
• https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/downtown-grocer-closes-after-3-decades-amid-series-of-legal-financial-troubles/ 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdFD2dHV1SA 
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sunterra-takes-steps-toward-creditor-protection-while-u-s-subsidiaries-face-legal-scrutiny-1.7506126 
• https://globalnews.ca/news/11113038/sunterra-bankruptcy-protection/ 
• https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2025/04/03/alberta-sunterra-bankruptcy/ 
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1494616411044609/posts/2329799130859662/ 
• https://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/daily/alberta-based-sunterra-companies-in-financial-legal-trouble/ 
• https://insolvencyinsider.ca/p/sunterra-food-corporation-ccaa 

The Anointed One (by his own reckoning)

Message from Charles Aulds

June 2016 was the 498th consecutive month with temperatures at least slightly above the 20th century average. The last month with a temperature below the 20th century average was February 1985. Every month since has been warmer than the 20th century average — every single one.

The last time global land and ocean temperatures were below average for the month of June was in 1976.

The climate we grew up with is gone for good.

Scientists work independently, by intent, so that whenever independent researchers, or independent research teams, get the same results, this increases the confidence that the science is good. When it comes to the global temperatures, there are 4 main groups: NASA's GISS, NOAA, the Japan Meteorological Agency, and the UK Meteorological Office/Hadley Center outside of London. All four of these groups agree very closely. That is why there is such a high degree of confidence in the scientific consensus that has been reached on global warming. There is very little doubt. Indeed, doubt among climate scientists is nearly nonexistent.

That scientific consensus is based on a vast body of irrefutable data, millions of data points.

There is no serious debate on the question (and that includes the statement that the causes of global warming are the activities of man) among scientists who are cognizant of the facts. And there are no national or major scientific institutions anywhere in the world that dispute the theory of anthropogenic climate change. Not a single one, anywhere on the planet.

___

Charles