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Deeper well drilling an unsustainable stopgap to groundwater depletion

Author

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  • Debra Perrone

    (University of California at Santa Barbara)

  • Scott Jasechko

    (University of California at Santa Barbara)

Abstract

Groundwater depletion is causing wells to run dry, affecting food production and domestic water access. Drilling deeper wells may stave off the drying up of wells—for those who can afford it and where hydrogeologic conditions permit it—yet the frequency of deeper drilling is unknown. Here, we compile 11.8 million groundwater-well locations, depths and purposes across the United States. We show that typical wells are being constructed deeper 1.4 to 9.2 times more often than they are being constructed shallower. Well deepening is not ubiquitous in all areas where groundwater levels are declining, implying that shallow wells are vulnerable to running dry should groundwater depletion continue. We conclude that widespread deeper well drilling represents an unsustainable stopgap to groundwater depletion that is limited by socioeconomic conditions, hydrogeology and groundwater quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Debra Perrone & Scott Jasechko, 2019. "Deeper well drilling an unsustainable stopgap to groundwater depletion," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(8), pages 773-782, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:2:y:2019:i:8:d:10.1038_s41893-019-0325-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-019-0325-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Melissa Thaw & Merhawi GebreEgziabher & Jobel Y. Villafañe-Pagán & Scott Jasechko, 2022. "Modern groundwater reaches deeper depths in heavily pumped aquifer systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Hrozencik, Aaron & Aillery, Marcel, 2021. "Trends in U.S. Irrigated Agriculture: Increasing Resilience Under Water Supply Scarcity," USDA Miscellaneous 316792, United States Department of Agriculture.
    3. Nicostrato Perez & Vartika Singh & Claudia Ringler & Hua Xie & Tingju Zhu & Edwin H. Sutanudjaja & Karen G. Villholth, 2024. "Ending groundwater overdraft without affecting food security," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 7(8), pages 1007-1017, August.
    4. Hrozencik, Aaron & Aillery, Marcel, 2021. "Trends in U.S. Irrigated Agriculture: Increasing Resilience Under Water Supply Scarcity," Economic Information Bulletin 327359, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Merhawi GebreEgziabher & Scott Jasechko & Debra Perrone, 2022. "Widespread and increased drilling of wells into fossil aquifers in the USA," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.

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