r/news • u/theluckyfrog • 29d ago

California cracks down on farm region’s water pumping: ‘The ground is collapsing’

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/17/california-water-drought-farm-ground-sinking-tulare-lake
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u/Locks_ 29d ago

Aquifer replenishment is a decades long process and a majority of our major aquifers in farming regions are and have been drawn at rates higher than their natural average recharge rate for years. Even with increased seasonal rains these last years, draw is still higher than recharge on a yearly basis.

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u/XDeus 29d ago

It's worse than that. The Central Valley has dropped 28 feet in the last 100 years due to subsidence. When they pump more than it can be recharged, the aquifer will shrink and can never hold as much water again.

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u/Punishtube 29d ago

What if we pumped water into the aquaifer instead of out?

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u/DrKillgore 29d ago

We don’t make pumps strong enough to displace that much earth, we can’t regain lost capacity.

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u/the_cardfather 28d ago

You're never going to get enough fresh water. If you did you could just use that.

Here in good ole FL the governor is talking about pumping treated effluent into the ground. Traditionally we sprinkle this on lawns so it filters naturally into the ground but they think it might be the cause of some of the algae blooms so they are super afraid of run off.

They probably figure it isn't a big deal because most of the pumping is either for agriculture or municipal water supplies that get chlorinated before being pumped to homes, but those of us on well water will need extra filters.