70 Groundwater Withdrawal and its Effects
Is it good to make the desert bloom?
Many sunny, arid regions are good for growing crops as long as water can be added. Some of the increase in productivity is due to farming in regions that are technically too dry. Groundwater can be used to make the desert bloom, but at what cost? And for how long? Eventually the wells will run dry.
Groundwater Overuse
Some aquifers are overused; people pump out more water than is replaced. As the water is pumped out, the water table slowly falls, requiring wells to be dug deeper, which takes more money and energy. Wells may go completely dry if they are not deep enough to reach into the lowered water table.
Other problems may stem from groundwater overuse. Subsidence and saltwater intrusion are two of them.
Subsidence
Lowering the water table may cause the ground surface to sink. Subsidence may occur beneath houses and other structures.
The San Joaquin Valley of California is one of the world’s major agricultural areas. So much groundwater has been pumped that the land has subsided many tens of feet.
Salt Water Intrusion
When coastal aquifers are overused, salt water from the ocean may enter the aquifer, contaminating the aquifer and making it less useful for drinking and irrigation. Salt water incursion is a problem in developed coastal regions, such as on Hawaii.
Summary
- When water is pumped from an aquifer, the water table declines and wells must be drilled deeper.
- Ground subsidence and saltwater intrusion are two possible consequences of groundwater overuse.
PRACTICE
Use this resource (watch the video) to answer the questions that follow.
- How has irrigation changed farming?
- What is leading to people’s demands for additional water?
- What do scientists need to see to better plan for future water use?
- What is the GRACE satellite doing?
- How does GRACE find groundwater aquifers?
- How people know the aquifers are being depleted?
- What is happening in India? what will happen if the water continues to decline?
- What is the future of water?
