Knowra Groundwater depletion Groundwater depletion Groundwater depletion is a decline in water stored in an aquifer when withdrawals exceed replenishment. It can lower water tables and reduce the flow of springs and rivers.
Groundwater : Water beneath Earth’s surface in saturated soil and rock formations. Depletion is a change in this broader underground water store.
Ogallala Aquifer : A large aquifer beneath parts of the Great Plains in the United States. Its heavily irrigated southern areas have experienced substantial groundwater declines.
Groundwater management : The planning and regulation of groundwater withdrawals, protection, and replenishment. It coordinates pumping and recharge to limit depletion.
Groundwater-dependent ecosystems : Ecosystems that rely on groundwater to sustain habitats, species, or ecological processes. Lower water levels can dry wetlands, springs, and other groundwater-fed habitats.
Safe yield : A groundwater management goal that limits withdrawals to a defined estimate of sustainable supply. Its fixed-balance framing can overlook impacts on streams, ecosystems, and neighboring users.
Aquifer : A body of permeable rock or sediment that stores and transmits groundwater. Depletion occurs within aquifers as water is removed faster than it is replenished.
Central Valley aquifer system : An aquifer system beneath California’s Central Valley, used extensively for irrigation and municipal supply. Intensive pumping has lowered groundwater levels and caused land subsidence there.
Managed aquifer recharge : The intentional addition of water to an aquifer for storage and later use. It can offset withdrawals when suitable water and aquifer conditions are available.
Saltwater intrusion : The movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers, often near coasts. Excessive coastal pumping can draw seawater into wells and aquifers.
Groundwater sustainability : The long-term use and management of groundwater without unacceptable environmental or social harm. Assessing sustainability requires deciding which depletion impacts and time horizons are acceptable.
Show all 27