The High Plains aquifer extends from approximately 32 to 44 degrees north latitude and from 96 degrees 30 minutes to 106 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 175,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital dataset contains water-level measurements from wells screened in the High Plains aquifer and measured in both predevelopment (about 1950) and for 2019. There were 2,741 wells measured in both predevelopment (about 1950) and 2019 as well as 71 wells located in New Mexico, which were measured in predevelopment and at least once between 2015 and 2018. These water-level measurements were used to map water-level changes, predevelopment (about 1950) to 2019. The map was reviewed for consistency with the relevant data at a scale of 1:1,000,000.

The High Plains aquifer extends from about 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from about 96 degrees 30 minutes to 106 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 175,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital dataset consists of three sets of water-level measurements. The first set are the supplemental water-level measurements for 547 wells screened in the High Plains aquifer, not located in New Mexico, measured in predevelopment and at least once for 2015 through 2018, but not for 2019. These supplemental measurements were used to calculate historical water-level change values for predevelopment to 2015 to 2018 and approximate water-level change values from predevelopment to 2019 to substantiate the map of water-level changes, predevelopment (about 1950) to 2019 (figure 1 in https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20235143). The water-level measurements used to calculate historical water-level changes from predevelopment are (1) 218 wells measured in predevelopment and in 2018, but not measured in 2019, which are used to calculate water-level change, predevelopment to 2018, (2) 152 wells measured in predevelopment and in 2017, but not measured in 2018 or 2019, which are used to calculate water-level change, predevelopment to 2017, (3) 117 wells measured in predevelopment and in 2016, but not measured in 2017, 2018, or 2019, which are used to calculate water-level change, predevelopment to 2016, and (4) 60 wells measured in predevelopment and in 2015, but not measured in 2016, 2017, 2018, or 2019, which are used to calculate water-level change, predevelopment to 2015. The second and third sets of water-level measurements were used to approximate water-level change, predevelopment to 2019, but did not have predevelopment water-level measurements. The second set included 292 wells, which were located in areas where water level declines from predevelopment to 1980 were 50 feet or more (Luckey and others, 1981; Cederstrand and Becker, 1999) and were measured in 1980 and in 2019, but not measured in the predevelopment period. For these wells, approximate water-level changes, predevelopment to 2019, were calculated as the starting value of the polygon range (for example 50 ft for the polygon of declines from 50 to 75 ft) from the map of water-level change, predevelopment to 1980, plus measured water-level change from 1980 to 2019. The third set of water-level measurements used to calculate approximate water-level changes were from 1,213 wells that were measured on or before 6/15/1978 (termed post-development) and in 2019, but not in the predevelopment period. For these wells, approximate water-level changes, predevelopment to 2019, were calculated as the water level, 2019, minus water level, post-development.

The High Plains aquifer extends from south of about 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from about 96 degrees 30 minutes to 106 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 175,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set contains the water-level measurements from 3,092 wells measured in both predevelopment (about 1950) and 2015 and from 72 wells, which are located in New Mexico and Wyoming and were measured in predevelopment and at least one time from 2011 to 2014. These water-level measurements were used to map water-level changes, predevelopment (about 1950) to 2015. The map was reviewed for consistency with the relevant data at a scale of 1:1,000,000.

The High Plains aquifer extends from approximately 32 to 44 degrees north latitude and from 96 degrees 30 minutes to 106 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 175,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set contains water-level measurements from wells screened in the High Plains aquifer and measured in both predevelopment (about 1950) and for 2017. There were 2,928 wells measured in both predevelopment (about 1950) and 2017 as well as 63 wells located in New Mexico, which were measured in predevelopment and at least once between 2013 and 2016. These water-level measurements were used to map water-level changes, predevelopment (about 1950) to 2017. The map was reviewed for consistency with the relevant data at a scale of 1:1,000,000.

This USGS data release consists of two geospatial raster datasets and three geospatial vector data sets of water-level data. The data sets include a raster (A1) representing water-level change from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2015; the primary vector dataset (A2) of water-level-change data of static or near-static water levels in wells measured in predevelopment and 2015 (for wells in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas) and in wells measured in predevelopment and the latest available static or near-static water level from 2011 to 2015 (for wells in New Mexico and Wyoming), a supplemental vector dataset (A3) of water-level data used to manually substantiate the raster of water-level change from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2015, a raster (B1) representing water-level change from 2013 to 2015; and the vector dataset (B2) of water-level-change data for wells measured in 2013 and 2015. The supplemental vector data sets of water-level-change data used to manually substantiate the raster of water-level change from predevelopment (about 1950) to 2015 are composed of (1) water-level-change data from wells measured before June 15, 1978, but not during or before the predevelopment period for the area, and in 2015, (2) for wells not measured in predevelopment or before June 15, 1978 but measured in 1980 and in 2015, calculated water-level-change data derived from the sum of the water-level-change value from 1980 to 2015 and the beginning water-level-change value from the contours of water-level change, predevelopment to 1980 (Luckey and others, 1981; Cederstrand and Becker, 1999), (3) water-level-change data for wells located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas and measured in predevelopment and 2014 and not measured in 2015, (4) water-level-change data for wells located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas and measured in measured in predevelopment and 2013 and not measured in 2014 or in 2015, (5) the water-level-change data for wells located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas and measured in measured in predevelopment and 2012 and not measured in 2013, 2014, or 2015, (6) the water-level-change data for wells located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas and measured in measured in predevelopment and 2011 and not measured in 2012, 2013, 2014, or 2015. The raster and vector data support USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5040, Water-Level Changes and Change in Recoverable Water in Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2015 and 2013-15.

The High Plains aquifer extends from south of about 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from about 96 degrees 30 minutes to 106 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 175,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set is the supplemental water-level measurements from 1,897 wells located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Texas and measured in various time periods, which were used to historical water-level change values for predevelopment to 2011 to 2014 and approximate water-level change values from predevelopment to 2015 to substantiate the map of water-level changes, predevelopment (about 1950) to 2015. The water-level measurements and the calculated historical water-level change values are (1) 219 wells measured in predevelopment and in 2014, but not measured in 2015, which are used to calculate water-level change, predevelopment to 2014, (2) 135 wells measured in predevelopment and in 2013, but not measured in 2014 or 2015, which are used to calculate water-level change, predevelopment to 2013, (3) 94 wells measured in predevelopment and in 2012, but not measured in 2013, 2014, or 2015, which are used to calculate water-level change, predevelopment to 2012, and (4) 57 wells measured in predevelopment and in 2011, but not measured in 2012, 2013, 2014, or 2015, which are used to calculate water-level change, predevelopment to 2011. One of two sets of water-level measurements used to calculate an approximate water-level-change values from predevelopment to 2015 are from 302 wells that are located in the areas where water level declines from predevelopment to 1980 (Luckey and others, 1981; Cederstrand and Becker, 1999) were 50 feet or more and were measured in 1980 and in 2015, but not measured in the predevelopment period. For these wells, approximate water-level change is calculate as the beginning contour interval from the map of water-level change, predevelopment to 1980 plus water-level change from 1980 to 2015. The second set of water-level measurements used to calculate approximate water-level change are from 1,090 wells that were measured on or before 6/15/1978 (termed post-development) and in 2015, but not in the predevelopment period. For these wells, approximate water-level change, predevelopment to 2015, is calculate as the water level, 2015, minus water level, post-development.

The High Plains aquifer extends from about 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from about 96 degrees 30 minutes to 106 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 175,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set is comprised of water-level measurements from 7,698 wells measured in both 2015 and 2017, which were used to map water-level changes, 2015 to 2017. The map was reviewed for consistency with the relevant data at a scale of 1:1,000,000.

The High Plains aquifer extends from south of about 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from about 96 degrees 30 minutes to 106 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 175,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set is the water-level measurements from 7,526 wells measured in both 2013 and 2015, which was used to map water-level changes, 2013 to 2015. The map was reviewed for consistency with the relevant data at a scale of 1:1,000,000.