Ecosystems - Biology - Animals

Groundwater levels are starting to decline across portions of California; here’s the areas of highest risk

Groundwater levels are on the decline worldwide and one of the areas seeing the biggest change is right here in our own backyard. 

A study in Journal Nature found groundwater levels are decreasing from the Sacramento Valley to the Central Valley at a rapid pace over the last four decades. 

Scott Jasechko, co-author of the study and assistant professor of water resources with the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UC Santa Barbara, said he and his colleagues analyzed measurements from over 170,000 wells in more than 40 countries. 

“If we continue doing what we are doing, things may get worse before they get better,” Jasechko said. 

The study showed that parts of California have some of the fastest declining aquifer levels in the world. Areas south of Stanislaus County through portions of Southern California in the Kaweah Basin and in the Colusa Basin near Woodland are some of the places on the list. 

“On the west side of the Sacramento Valley, there are places where the groundwater levels are declining at two feet per year. There are places in Iran where the levels are dropping of up to 10 feet per year. So there’s some worrying declines,” Jasechko said.

Jasechko and his colleagues found that areas with a warmer climate and more agriculture are losing their water faster.   

“It’s a dry climate naturally, were relying on groundwater and those aquifers are clearly not being replenished fast enough to keep up with pumping,” Jasechko said. 

Many areas over-pumping groundwater to irrigate farmlands to keep up with […]

Full article: www.cbsnews.com

Recent Posts

LA River restoration connects us back to ‘the life force of our city’

Los Angeles residents at a section of the Los Angeles River cleanup in Los Angeles,…

2 days ago

LAist: New study raises questions about heavy metals in fire retardants

Over the past decade, about 67 million gallons of fire retardant have been dropped on…

2 days ago

Meadow and watershed restoration in the Golden Trout Wilderness

Photo: Golden Trout Wilderness Seeking blue, seeing gold The Kern Plateau features a chain of…

3 days ago

First sighting of salmon in 100 years marks key milestone for California dam removal

For the first time in more than a century, a salmon was observed swimming through Klamath…

1 week ago

Developing state water roadmaps is essential

New turnout facility from the California Aqueduct on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. Officials say the…

2 weeks ago

Migration Matters: Breaking Down Barriers to Migration

Over the past century, humans have constructed major transportation infrastructure like highways, bridges, railroads, and…

3 weeks ago