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Playas Work For Texans

Category: Groundwater Recharge

Texas Landowner Recalls Irrigation’s Past & Restores Playas Photo by Brian Slobe

Texas Landowner Recalls Irrigation’s Past & Restores Playas

TULIA, Texas – There was a time, not so long ago, when the Texas Panhandle sang a different song.

“You’d drive the backroads at night, windows cracked, and you could hear the hum of gas-powered irrigation engines all around you,” said Norman Burge, a landowner in Floyd County. “Some louder than others, but always there. It was the music of the plains.”

“This land won’t fix itself,” he said. “And it won’t wait around for us to get it right. You have to be willing to do your part.”

That steady rhythm of water being pulled from the Ogallala Aquifer once fueled the region’s agricultural boom. But over the years, the music quieted — and with it came a sobering realization.

“The engines went silent because the water started disappearing,” Burge said. “And it hit me — we can’t keep treating this resource like it’s endless.”

That awareness led Burge to take action. As one of the earliest participants in the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative, he restored playas on two separate properties — 160 acres in Floyd County, Texas, and 480 acres in Curry County, New Mexico.

Found at the lowest point of a watershed, playas are round, shallow basins lined with clay soil that collect and hold rainfall and runoff, forming temporary wetlands. These natural recharge basins play a vital role in replenishing groundwater and supporting wildlife.

“I didn’t know much about playas at first,” he admitted. “They looked like leaky bowls to me. But once I understood their role in recharging the aquifer, it just made sense to restore them.”

Though he’s an absentee landowner and the land has been in the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) since the late ’80s, the decision to restore was never about short-term gains.

“This land won’t fix itself,” he said. “And it won’t wait around for us to get it right. You have to be willing to do your part.”

Burge hopes his work will not only contribute to aquifer recharge but also spark a change in mindset among landowners. He’s seen the shift firsthand — from years of unchecked water use to growing concern about long-term supply.

“A neighbor of mine used to talk about how they wasted more water in a day back in the ’40s than we have access to now,” Burge said. “It’s a different world. And we have to act like it.”

His restoration efforts have also become a quiet conversation starter in the community.

“People drive by and say, ‘Hey, what happened to that old pit out there?’” he said. “They may not say much at first, but it plants a seed. And that’s how change begins.”

Looking ahead, Burge hopes that seed continues to grow — especially among younger landowners inheriting family ground in a drier, more uncertain climate.

“If I could offer one piece of advice,” he said, “it’s to think about the legacy you’re leaving. What do you want your land to look like in 50 years? Because if you don’t act now, that decision might not be yours to make.”

Get Help Restoring Your Playa

For more information about playa restoration opportunities, contact us.

Heather Johnson, Texas Parks and Wildlife
806-475-1308
heather.johnson@tpwd.texas.gov

Tavin Dotson, Ducks Unlimited
806-392-1473
tdotson@ducks.org.

Landowner Restores Family Playa: “Why Aren’t More People Doing This?” Photo by Heather Johnson

Landowner Restores Family Playa: “Why Aren’t More People Doing This?”

KRESS, Texas – For Jason Lindeman, restoring a playa on his family’s land wasn’t just a conservation decision — it was common sense.

“If you care about your land, your water, and the legacy you’re leaving behind — this is a no-brainer.”

“We weren’t using it for irrigation anymore, and it had become this old, modified pit full of junk infrastructure,” he said. “Restoring it just made sense — for the land, for the water, and for the long-term health of the soil.”

Lindeman’s 80-acre playa restoration in Swisher County is part of a growing effort to bring these natural features back to life across the High Plains. Found at the lowest point of a watershed, playas are round, shallow basins lined with clay soil that collect and hold rainfall and runoff, forming temporary wetlands. These natural recharge basins play a vital role in replenishing groundwater and supporting wildlife.

In the past, pits were often dug in playas to catch runoff from flood irrigation and pumped back out to irrigate surrounding land. Because of these tailwater pits, many playas like Lindeman’s have lost their original function — along with their ecological value.

Since 2017, the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative has worked with landowners to restore nearly 3,900 acres of playas across the Texas Panhandle. The program offers 100% cost-covered restoration and technical support, as well as a one-time incentive payment, helping producers bring these wetlands back to life.

Lindeman coordinated with contractors and the power company to remove old utility poles, fill the pit, and reverse years of human modification. The result is a naturally functioning playa — and a small step toward bigger water resilience goals in the region.

Lindeman, who was raised with a deep respect for conservation by his father, sees the project as part of a broader movement to restore sustainability in a landscape that once brimmed with wetlands and native grasslands.

“I’m surprised more people aren’t doing this,” he said. “Every time I drive around and see a neglected playa that’s just sitting there, I wonder — do they even know there is another option?”

For him, the benefits are clear: improved soil health, better vegetation, a boost to local wildlife — and meaningful aquifer recharge potential, even if just for domestic use.

“And if none of that gets your motor going,” Lindeman added, “there’s always the financial incentive. We can all use a little extra money in our pockets.”

The process, he says, was smooth.

“There were a lot of enrollments happening in the area, so timing was tight — but it worked out really well,” he said. “Honestly, my only regret is not doing it sooner.”

To landowners who think playa restoration sounds too daunting, Lindeman offers a laugh and a quote from a conservation conference speaker: “Your only effort will be walking to the mailbox to get the check — unless you sign up for direct deposit.”

All joking aside, he believes the long-term value far outweighs any temporary land-use changes.

“These playas were designed by nature to function. All we’re doing is helping them get back to that,” he said. “If you care about your land, your water, and the legacy you’re leaving behind — this is a no-brainer.”

Get Help Restoring Your Playa

For more information about playa restoration opportunities, contact us.

Heather Johnson, Texas Parks and Wildlife
806-475-1308
heather.johnson@tpwd.texas.gov

Tavin Dotson, Ducks Unlimited
806-392-1473
tdotson@ducks.org.

Restoring Playas Brings Benefits to Landowners, Wildlife, and Water Supply Photo by Texas Parks & Wildlife

Restoring Playas Brings Benefits to Landowners, Wildlife, and Water Supply

“If your patient’s running out of blood, quit poking holes in it,” says Chris Grotegut, veterinarian, landowner, and playa restoration advocate.

For landowners in the Texas Panhandle like Grotegut, that patient is the Ogallala Aquifer — the lifeblood of agriculture, communities, and ecosystems across the region. As groundwater levels continue to decline, restoring playas has become a practical, proven way to slow the bleed. These shallow, seasonal wetlands not only recharge the aquifer, but also improve water quality, reduce erosion, enhance drought resilience, and support local wildlife.

“Playas are a vital part of a functioning agricultural landscape and have supported life on the plains for generations.”

A shallow, round depression in a field might not look like much to the untrained eye, but if it’s a playa, that low spot is one of the most important features on the Southern High Plains, especially when it rains.

Found at the lowest point of a watershed, playas are round, shallow basins lined with clay soil that collect and hold rainfall and runoff, forming temporary wetlands. These natural recharge basins play a vital role in replenishing groundwater and supporting wildlife. Because playa health is directly tied to the future of rural life and water in the region, more and more landowners are choosing to restore playas on their land.

Since 2017, the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative has worked with landowners to restore nearly 3,900 acres of playas across the Texas Panhandle. The program offers 100% cost-covered restoration and technical support, helping producers bring these wetlands back to life.

“Healthy playas are the primary source of recharge for the Ogallala Aquifer,” explained Tavin Dotson, regional biologist for playa lakes with Ducks Unlimited. “This vital function not only replenishes our groundwater but also improves water quality in the region.”

Playas have an unpredictable and rapidly changing wet-dry cycle that is essential to their function. Whether they are dry, moist, saturated, or flooded, playas are always working. In fact, without this natural cycle, they wouldn’t be as effective at recharging the aquifer.

When dry, the clay soil in the playa basin contracts and forms deep cracks. Then, when it rains, the first flush of water from the surrounding area flows toward the playa. As water moves through the grasses surrounding the playa, sediment that may carry contaminants from farm fields is trapped and stopped from entering the playa. The water continues into the playa and into the cracks — beginning its journey to the underlying aquifer.

It’s not about capturing rainfall directly — the recharge process depends on how water moves through the cracks and continues making its way through the underlying geology over time. In a region where water is limited and groundwater levels are declining, the role of playas as slow, steady contributors to groundwater replenishment is more important than ever.

“Playas are a vital part of a functioning agricultural landscape and have supported life on the plains for generations,” Dotson said. “Restoration doesn’t mean taking land out of production,” he added. “It’s about helping the playa do what it was designed to do — recharge the aquifer, provide habitat and improve the land — while still working for the producer.”

“The program is designed to be landowner-friendly, with minimal restrictions. Most of our new projects come through referrals — landowners telling neighbors about their experience and encouraging them to participate. That kind of word-of-mouth speaks volumes.”

Over the years, many playas have been modified and are no longer fully functioning. Playa restoration reverses past modifications to playas by removing accumulated sediment, filling drainage features, redirecting water back into the playa, and protecting the playa with a native grass buffer. Texas Playa Conservation Initiative works directly with landowners to plan and carry out these projects, all at no cost to the landowner.

Playas have shown remarkable resilience, said Heather Johnson, Region 1 Migratory Game Bird Specialist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, based in Littlefield. “Even after a century of disturbance, when we restore a playa, it often rebounds quickly, coming back to life with native vegetation and wildlife,” Johnson said.

Interest in playa restoration is largely driven by word of mouth — and by results.

“Landowner response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive,” Johnson said. “The program is designed to be landowner-friendly, with minimal restrictions. Most of our new projects come through referrals — landowners telling neighbors about their experience and encouraging them to participate. That kind of word-of-mouth speaks volumes.”

Besides the incentive payment, landowners are seeing real benefits.

“The program has helped raise awareness about how valuable a healthy, functioning playa can be to a producer,” Johnson said. “Since most of our restoration work happens on land that’s no longer actively farmed, there’s an added benefit of improved forage quality for livestock in and around the playa. Even if the landowner doesn’t see it immediately, restoration likely improves the amount of water returning to the aquifer beneath their property. And without water, they can’t sustain their operation — their ability to stay on the land depends on it.”

Playas also offer a ripple effect across surrounding communities.

“Across the South Plains, our communities depend heavily on groundwater. Restoring playas directly helps us store more of this vital resource underground, ensuring our towns can not just survive but to grow.”

Johnson emphasized that restored playas benefit entire communities, not just individual landowners.

“Many High Plains communities rely entirely on groundwater,” she said. “By restoring playas, we help ensure a sustainable water supply for local communities. However, recharge alone can’t keep pace with the demand created by intensive irrigation and manicured lawns. It’s important to align our water use with what the land can naturally support.

Grotegut has never shied away from hard truths, especially when it comes to the long-term sustainability of agriculture in the Texas High Plains. For him, playa restoration isn’t just good conservation, it’s sound business and moral responsibility. The economics of water use, he says, have too often ignored the deeper costs — the generational debt we’re accumulating by overdrawing a resource that can’t keep up.

“You’re not just killing your farm, you’re killing your kids’ future if they have to follow in your footsteps on that land,” he said.

That’s why he’s shifted his operation away from intensive irrigation and toward grasslands, conservation, and smarter water management.

When functioning properly, playas also provide critical habitat. During wet periods, they support migratory birds, amphibians, small mammals and a variety of other species. In dry times, they sustain native grasses, pollinators and offer grazing value for cattle.

More wildlife means more opportunities for local tourism through hunting and birdwatching. And educational outreach — from landowner workshops to youth events — helps people understand the value of these unique ecosystems.

Looking ahead, playa conservation is a powerful investment in the future.

“Playas are part of a natural system designed to recycle water back into the ground, making them a critical long-term resource,” Johnson said. “While we’re seeing fewer rain events, the storms we do get tend to be more intense. It’s essential that our playas are intact and functioning so they can absorb and filter that water when it does come, supporting aquifer recharge and providing vital habitat for wildlife. Restoring and protecting these playas now ensures they’ll be there when future generations need them most.”

“By focusing on playa conservation now, we’re safeguarding the water resources that our kids and grandkids will depend on,” Dotson added. “It’s about leaving them a legacy — a resilient landscape, where the natural resources and the unique character of the Texas High Plains are preserved.”

Put Your Playa Back to Work

For more information about playa restoration opportunities, contact us.

Heather Johnson, Texas Parks and Wildlife
806-475-1308
heather.johnson@tpwd.texas.gov

Tavin Dotson, Ducks Unlimited
806-392-1473
tdotson@ducks.org

Grounded in Water: A Landowner Rethinks Future Supply Photo by Heather Johnson

Grounded in Water: A Landowner Rethinks Future Supply

HEREFORD, Texas — In the heart of the High Plains, where drought is more familiar than flood, veterinarian and landowner Dr. Chris Grotegut is helping his community face a difficult truth: if Hereford wants water tomorrow, it has to act today.

“We’ve been outpacing our recharge since the 1950s,” Grotegut said. “That’s the fallacy of the irrigation experiment — nobody stopped to ask how long the aquifer could keep up.”

A fourth-generation steward of his family’s land, Grotegut has spent the last 15 years shifting away from intensive irrigation. He restored more than seven playas across his ranch and helped spearhead a community-wide water plan aimed at securing Hereford’s water future — not just for the next decade, but for the next 150 years.

“People think we’ve got time,” he said. “We don’t.”

The concept is simple: reduce water demand, increase natural recharge, and stop betting the future on short-term extraction. At the center of that plan is playas — shallow depressions in the landscape that funnel rainfall into the Ogallala Aquifer.

“A single year of irrigation can burn through six years’ worth of urban water supply,” he said. “If we want our towns to survive, we need to stop using water like there’s no limit. Because there is.”

Playas are round, shallow depressions found at the lowest point of a watershed. Their basins are lined with clay soil, which allows them to temporarily hold water from rainfall and runoff. Though they may appear dry much of the year, these unique features play a critical role in the landscape — helping recharge groundwater aquifers and providing habitat for wildlife when wet.

“You can see how fast a playa recharges just by watching how long water stays after a rain,” he explained. “The faster it disappears, the better. That means it’s going down — into the aquifer — not just evaporating.”

Grotegut’s community plan combines playa restoration, native grassland conversion, urban water efficiency, and even wastewater reuse. He believes this multi-pronged approach can help Hereford meet its needs — without relying on costly, long-shot solutions like desalination or water importation.

“A single year of irrigation can burn through six years’ worth of urban water supply,” he said. “If we want our towns to survive, we need to stop using water like there’s no limit. Because there is.”

For Grotegut, the turning point came during the 2011 drought. Despite full irrigation, his crop yields were wildly inconsistent. “We realized that if droughts got worse — and they will — we’d have no tools left to adapt,” he said. “That’s when we started putting land back into grass.”

The change worked. Since transitioning much of his operation from row crops to grazing lands, his wells have stabilized, and in some areas, water levels have even risen.

“It’s not about quitting farming — it’s about doing it in a way that works with nature, not against it,” he said. “Playas are part of that. So is native grass. So is thinking beyond the next season.”

A trained veterinarian, Grotegut says his conservation mindset comes naturally. “If your patient’s bleeding out, you don’t keep poking holes,” he said. “The aquifer’s no different.”

Today, Grotegut sees playa restoration as both a practical and ethical responsibility — especially for those who’ve benefited from the land’s productivity. He believes the cost of doing nothing is far greater than the investment required to fix it.

“Bringing water back to this region isn’t going to happen,” he said. “But we can stretch what we have. We can protect it. And we can do it in a way that honors the landowners who built these communities.”

His message to skeptics is clear: Playas aren’t a liability — they’re an asset. As water becomes scarcer, properties with healthy recharge zones and native vegetation are only becoming more valuable.

“You don’t win a race by going the fastest. You win by not running out of fuel,” Grotegut said. “In the High Plains, water is our fuel. And playas are our best bet to keep running.”

Learn more about Grotegut’s conservation efforts in this video about the 2022 Lone Star Land Steward Award winner.

Get Help Restoring Your Playa

For more information about playa restoration opportunities, contact us.

Heather Johnson, Texas Parks and Wildlife
806-475-1308
heather.johnson@tpwd.texas.gov

Tavin Dotson, Ducks Unlimited
806-392-1473
tdotson@ducks.org.

Enhancing Your Community’s Water Photo by Chas Isenhart

Enhancing Your Community’s Water

The Tomorrow’s Water model helps communities explore ways to provide future water by reducing the impacts from aquifer overuse and increasing groundwater recharge through playas. It is an adaptive, collaborative process for creating an actionable plan to stabilize community water supplies — with a focus on incorporating playa conservation as part of broader water quantity and quality efforts. Learn more >>

Discover Magazine Highlights Playas

Discover Magazine Highlights Playas

Over the past few years, there has been a growing awareness of playas and their role in recharging the Ogallala Aquifer, including published articles. The May 2021 issue of Discover Magazine included an article, These Wetlands Feed The Largest Aquifer In The U.S. What Happens If We Lose Them?, which highlights the importance of playas to groundwater recharge.

“Not only do playas contribute to recharge, they dominate recharge. During the early minutes of a rain inundation, water flows through cracks in the clay soil and into the zone just beneath the playa floor. These cracks, which form when the playa runs dry, can slice as deep as 3 feet. They facilitate water flow into the clay subsurface at rates up to 116 inches per hour.” Read the full article.

How Playas Work Photo by Miruh Hamend

How Playas Work

Healthy playas are a primary source of groundwater recharge — and provide important, year-round habitat for birds and other wildlife. Unlike many other wetlands, playas have an irregular wet-dry cycle, which is key to how they function. This video shows how playas recharge the Ogallala aquifer and provide critical wildlife habitat as they go through the cycle.

Playas for the Plains

Playas for the Plains

Many playa lakes of the Southern Plains have been plowed under cropland, silted over, or diverted into irrigation pits. But the value of these shallow lakes for groundwater recharge and wildlife habitat has landowners and conservation groups working together to restore playa lakes for the Plains and the future of its economy and biodiversity.

Healthy Playas Recharge Ogallala Aquifer Photo by Ogallala Commons

Healthy Playas Recharge Ogallala Aquifer

Playas, though they may go unappreciated for the life-giving role they play, are critically important recharge wetlands in the Texas High Plains. In the midst of a landscape filled with towns, industries and agricultural activities that mine multiple feet from the aquifer annually, playas give water back to the Ogallala aquifer. Despite their priceless capacity to give back in support of water for the region, playas are losing their function and fading away at an alarming rate.

Those messages were pressed home by Don Kahl, Region 1 Migratory Gamebird Specialist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, who is working diligently with the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative (TxPCI) to restore altered playas to fulfilling their role in the water cycle, and Dr. Chris Grotegut, an area farmer who includes playas in his “live within your means” irrigation management. Kahl and Dr. Grotegut made comments and conducted a field trip at a recent playa landowner field day that included a classroom session at the Hereford Community Center and a visit to a local playa near Dawn.

Some 23,000 of roughly 80,000 playas in the Great Plains states are located in the Southern High Plains of Texas, primarily in the Panhandle and South Plains. Within the Panhandle region, these ephemeral basins could appropriately be called recharge wetlands as they are strongly tied to the Ogallala aquifer.

“We’re trying to get away from calling playas ‘lakes’ as functioning playas have both dry and wet periods. Playas help recharge the Ogallala aquifer and their dry periods are important to recharge due to the large cracks that form in their clay floors when they dry out. The initial rush of recharge is through these cracks when rainwater flows in during thunderstorms, and as the clay swells and seals the recharge occurs on the perimeter of the playa where the hydric soil meets the upland soil in the annular ring of the playa,” says Kahl, who is based in Lubbock.

“Healthy playas ensure recharge of clean water into the Ogallala aquifer. The recharge rate through playas is 10 to 100 times greater than elsewhere. Water that is filtered through playas most benefits wells pumping from the Ogallala aquifer. Three inches of recharge through a four acre playa produces 326,000 gallons of returned water. That’s enough to support two years of residential use for a family of four,” emphasized Kahl.

“Water recharged through playas stays localized where the playa lies. Recharge can range from an inch or less up to 20 inches. The average playa is 17 acres, so that’s considerable water recharged from an average-sized playa—far more if the recharge rate is on the high end of up to 20 inches,” Kahl projected.

The health of the Ogallala is a major concern on the Texas High Plains, where massive historic declines in the freshwater aquifer have occurred due to heavy irrigation and residential use. Land use patterns in agriculture and urban sprawl have both had substantial impact on the function of playas.

Kahl says Texas has a total of 23,037 playas. Of that number, 4,080 are currently categorized as pristine—functional thanks to a good grass buffer around them, no trenching, and no accumulated silt in the basin. Another 5,631 are currently listed as functional but at risk, and a troubling tally of 13,326 playas are categorized as not functional.

Kahl is working with the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative, launched in 2015, to rehabilitate playas listed as not functional. Others partnering with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in the effort include Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ducks Unlimited, Texan by Nature, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Ogallala Commons.

“Our focus is on backfilling tailwater pits in grass-buffered playas. A hole in the clay pan of a playa, such as a tailwater pit, is a hole in the playa’s filter mechanism. Water gathered in a pit is not productive like rainwater spread shallowly over a whole playa basin. With pits, you lose the shallow water habitat,” Kahl told the workshop audience.

Kahl says TxPCI seeks playas it would like to restore and works with the landowner. The initiative pays 100 percent of restoration costs and hires and directly pays contractors involved in pushing berms alongside tailwater pits back into the pit.

“Playa landowners receive a one-time incentive payment of $80 per playa acre, and must enter into a ten-year agreement that precludes future pit creation in the playa. We contact landowners directly and make site visits prior to entering into contracts. TxPCI pays the landowner and the contractor. Playas that get pit backfilling are remotely monitored,” said Kahl.

The initiative has projects in Castro, Floyd, Swisher Briscoe, Hale and Armstrong counties thus far.

“We have completed 13 pit filling projects with 489 playa acres restored. Thus far, TxPCI has spent an average of $12,305 per project. That’s pretty cheap for wetland restoration,” Kahl said.

He says the initiative hopes to have 25 projects underway in the next couple of months.

Primary funding for TxPCI is via migratory gamebird funds through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, federal and North American Waterfowl Conservation Act grants, and regional grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“We’re beginning to need more staffing now as this project builds momentum. This effort shows that water conservation goes beyond what you do in your household. It’s important to realize where your water comes from, and the important role that playas play in keeping Ogallala aquifer water available,” said Kahl.

By Jim Steiert, an award winning member of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association and a Certified Texas Master Naturalist. Photo of playa courtesy of Darryl Birkenfeld.

Texas Playa Conservation Initiative

Texas Playa Conservation Initiative

Beneath the feet of millions of Texans, below the waring grasslands of the panhandle, lie thousands of access points to the biggest aquifer in America. These shallow basins, called playas, are Texas’ recharge points for the Ogallala Aquifer, and they play a critical role in providing a plentiful amount of clean water for the entire region. However, the health and integrity of the playas, and ultimately the assurance of a steady water supply, is declining. Over-grazing, modifications from older irrigation practices, accumulation of silt deposits from erosion, and many other factors contribute to the declining quality of playas in the Texas panhandle. To counter this trend, the Texas Playa Conservation Initiative works with landowners and other stakeholders across the panhandle region to incentivize the restoration and rejuvenation of healthy playas.