This digital data set consists of saturated thickness contours for the High Plains aquifer in Central United States, 1996-97. The High Plains aquifer extends from south of 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from 96 degrees 30 minutes to 104 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This data set was based on 10,085 water-level measurements, 49 stream elevations, (March 1997) and 10,036 water-level elevations from wells (1,370 from 1996 and 8,666 from 1997) and the base of aquifer value for each measurement location. The saturated thickness at each measurement location was determined by subtracting the water-level elevation from the base of aquifer at that location.