Groundwater Depletion and Aquifer Overdraft
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
Groundwater provides a buffer when surface water runs short — but in many regions it is being withdrawn far faster than nature replenishes it. The Ogallala (High Plains) Aquifer beneath the Great Plains and California's Central Valley aquifers are among the most heavily overdrafted in the country.
Over-pumping causes land subsidence (the ground literally sinking), dry wells, declining water quality, and permanent loss of aquifer storage capacity. California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is one of the most ambitious attempts to bring basins back into balance.
Managed aquifer recharge — deliberately banking surplus or recycled water underground — has become a key tool, linking groundwater management directly to water reuse programs.
Sources & further reading
States facing this
Arkansas
Idaho
Nebraska
Oklahoma
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