Over-pumping Aquifers in Central Valley
Of all the states in our great nation, California uses more water from the ground than any other, and up to 80 percent of that water is used for agriculture. This mainly happens as a result of the depletion of the Shasta and Oroville Lakes; the federal government’s main source of water for the Central Valley. Since the drought began four years ago, the farms around the central valley have not been getting the provisions they’ve requested form the state, and as a result, have turned to pumping water out of the reservoirs in the ground. These underground reservoirs are called aquifers, and are among the most valuable resources in California. Unfortunately, it seems we are rapidly draining them (Peterson). …show more content…
If we didn’t have the lakes, we always had groundwater, which was annually replenished by the rain and snowmelt from the Sierras. However, as the earth’s temperature steadily climbs, and the state suffers through a massive dry spell, demand for water has reached an all-time high, and groundwater use has soared as a result. This has caused the water table, or the depth at which water is found below the surface, to plummet as water is pumped from the ground faster than the aquifers can rejuvenate. Once farmers needed only to drill 500 feet deep to reach water, now they have to drill down at least 1,000 feet. Scientists have also discovered that the more water is taken out from Central Valley, the more the land begins to sink- the San Joaquin Valley in particular
Of all the states in our great nation, California uses more water from the ground than any other, and up to 80 percent of that water is used for agriculture. This mainly happens as a result of the depletion of the Shasta and Oroville Lakes; the federal government’s main source of water for the Central Valley. Since the drought began four years ago, the farms around the central valley have not been getting the provisions they’ve requested form the state, and as a result, have turned to pumping water out of the reservoirs in the ground. These underground reservoirs are called aquifers, and are among the most valuable resources in California. Unfortunately, it seems we are rapidly draining them (Peterson). …show more content…
If we didn’t have the lakes, we always had groundwater, which was annually replenished by the rain and snowmelt from the Sierras. However, as the earth’s temperature steadily climbs, and the state suffers through a massive dry spell, demand for water has reached an all-time high, and groundwater use has soared as a result. This has caused the water table, or the depth at which water is found below the surface, to plummet as water is pumped from the ground faster than the aquifers can rejuvenate. Once farmers needed only to drill 500 feet deep to reach water, now they have to drill down at least 1,000 feet. Scientists have also discovered that the more water is taken out from Central Valley, the more the land begins to sink- the San Joaquin Valley in particular