Groundwater depletion

Groundwater is the water that is stored beneath the Earth's surface, in the spaces between rocks and soil particles. It is an important water source for many California communities, particularly in rural areas where surface water supplies may be limited. Groundwater is also used extensively in agriculture, one of the state's largest water-consuming industries.

However, the over-extraction of groundwater has led to a depletion of California's underground aquifers. This means that the state is losing access to a crucial water source during drought, when surface water supplies may be limited. In some areas, groundwater levels have dropped so low that wells have run dry, leaving communities without access to water.

Groundwater depletion has been a longstanding issue in California, but it has been exacerbated in recent years by a combination of factors. These include population growth, which has put more pressure on the state's water resources, and the ongoing drought, which has made surface water supplies even more scarce. Additionally, many farmers have turned to groundwater to irrigate their crops during drought conditions, further depleting the state's underground aquifers.

To address the issue of groundwater depletion, California has passed a number of laws and regulations aimed at promoting sustainable groundwater use. In 2014, the state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which requires local agencies to sustainably develop plans to manage their groundwater resources. The goal of this legislation is to ensure that groundwater supplies are not depleted to the point where they are no longer available during times of drought.