ABSTRACT:Ground‐water level decline patterns in parts of Nebraska conform to the circular island concept of Bredehoeftet al. (1982), which indicates how water is derived by wells developed in a circular island. If elongated, the center of the island corresponds to a regional ground‐water divide while the shoreline corresponds to a regional river. In both versions, ground‐water table elevation is a function of recharge and transmissivity. A dynamic equilibrium exists such that the gradient of the water table will convey all recharge to discharge areas. Withdrawals of ground water result initially in mining, with a new equilibrium attained when pumping equals capture. During early development, capture is an important source of water in discharge areas, while mining is more significant in recharge areas. The pattern observed in many areas shows the greatest ground‐water level decline in the vicinity of ground‐water divides and the steepest gradient near regional rivers. A similar pattern has been observed adjacent to the Arkansas River in south‐central Kansas. Similar decline patterns can be modeled for a hypothetical ground‐water basin. This is of major importance to water‐resource managers because it dictates that management programs be applied to the entire hy