GREELEY COUNTY, KS – When Alicia Allen returned to her family’s farm in western Kansas at age 24, she never expected that a patch of water-holding ground — one her dad had always said “just shouldn’t be farmed” — would turn into a cornerstone of their conservation legacy.
That water-holding patch is a playa — a shallow, round wetland that fills with rainwater and runoff. Playas are vital for recharging the Ogallala Aquifer and provide essential habitat for wildlife. Even though they may remain dry for extended periods, when filled, they support a rich variety of plants and animals.
“My dad didn’t know what a playa was at first,” Alicia admits, “but he knew that soil was different. It supported wildlife, and it just felt like it needed to be conserved.” That instinct led her father to explore a Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) through USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) — but enrolling wasn’t straightforward. With half the mineral rights owned by an outside entity, the family spent over a year navigating legal channels before finally securing permission to move forward.
Today, that once-overlooked playa wetland spans about 100 acres including grass buffers, bursting to life with birds and deer after a good rain. “It’s always fun to go there after a storm and just see who shows up,” Alicia says. “It’s like a magnet for wildlife.”
Alicia and her family now have multiple playas enrolled in conservation programs, including a second WRE site added just last year. They’ve also used the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Migratory Birds State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE practice to protect additional playas. “They dot the landscape out here,” she says. “You just have to know what you’re looking at.”
But their work goes beyond the technical. For Alicia, playas represent a deeper purpose.
“When I think about the power of playas, it’s really about their ability to recharge the aquifer,” she explains. “Water is life out here. And if we want this place to be sustainable — for my daughter, for the next generation — then we have to take care of that.”
That commitment also means managing challenges. “Some of the maintenance practices available through CRP just aren’t great fits for our region,” she notes. “Interseeding is effective, but it’s expensive. Burning’s risky during dry spells. I wish there were more farmer-friendly, land-friendly options.”
Still, she wouldn’t go back. “You get this sense of pride seeing deer come in for water or ducks resting during migration. It just makes your farm really pretty — and it feels like the right thing.”
Alicia hopes more landowners will consider enrolling their playas, even if the process takes time. “With WRE, it’s a bit of a journey,” she says, “but you’ll be glad you did it. It benefits the land, the wildlife, your operation — and the future.”
That long view is what keeps her going. “In 50 or 60 years, I’ll be gone,” she says, “but what we did with this land — that’s what the next generation will remember. It’s a relationship we’re building, not just with the land, but with those who come after us. And I think that’s exactly how it was meant to be.”
Explore Wetland Reserve Easements
For more information about the program and how it can support your conservation goals, contact us.
Abe Lollar, Ducks Unlimited
620-214-2693
[email protected]
Matt Carey, NRCS
785-545-7081
[email protected]
