Groundwater Supply
Groundwater Supply
Every day, millions of gallons of groundwater are pumped to supply drinking water for almost one-half of the Nation’s population. Groundwater is also critical to agriculture, one of California's main economic drivers. The California Water Science Center studies aquifers throughout the state that are critical sources of groundwater used for public supply. This research informs us about the quality and availability of groundwater for drinking, where and why groundwater quality is degraded, and where groundwater quality is changing.
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Mojave Land-Subsidence Studies
Land subsidence has been ongoing in the dry lake beds throughout the Mojave and Morongo groundwater basins since the 1960s. In a study conducted from 2004 - 2009, continuous GPS stations were added to interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) methods to measure changes in land surface altitude.
Land Subsidence in the Coachella Valley
Groundwater is an important water-supply source in the Coachella Valley. The demand for water has exceeded the deliveries of imported surface water, and groundwater levels have been declining as a result of increased pumping. A network of GPS stations has been set up in the valley to monitor subsidence resulting from declining groundwater levels.
Delta-Mendota Canal: Using Groundwater Modeling to Analyze Land Subsidence
A numerical modeling approach was used to quantify groundwater conditions and land subsidence spatially along the Delta-Mendota Canal. In addition, selected management alternatives for controlling land subsidence were evaluated.
Bay Area Ensemble Modeling for Conservation and Biodiversity
The objective of this study is to provide downscaled ensemble projections of climate and hydrology for the next century for the state of California with specific application to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Delta-Mendota Canal: Evaluation of Groundwater Conditions and Land Subsidence
In areas adjacent to the Delta-Mendota Canal (DMC), extensive groundwater withdrawal from the San Joaquin Valley aquifer system has caused areas of the ground to sink as much as 10 feet, a process known as land subsidence. This could result in serious operational and structural issues for the Delta-Mendota Canal (DMC). In response, the USGS is studying and providing information on groundwater...
Water-level Contour Map of the Antelope Valley Groundwater Basin and Interactive Website, 2014
The USGS has a long history of collecting water-level data in the Antelope Valley groundwater basin. Previous water-level contour maps for Antelope Valley were published by the USGS in cooperation with the Antelope Valley – East Kern Water Agency as Open-File Reports 80-1222, 86-498 and 98-4022 using water-level data collected in 1979, 1984 and 1996, respectively. An updated water-level contour...
Hydrogeologic Characterization of the Cox/San Andreas Oasis, California
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the Dos Palmas Oasis complex on the northeastern side of the Salton Sea for the maintainence of threatened and endangered species. This Oasis complex represents a rare area of riparian/wetland habitat in the midst of an extremely arid desert region. Anthropogenic development of water resources during the 1900s depleted natural groundwater supplies...
Depth-Dependent groundwater flow, age, and chemistry in relation to solvent contamination in a production well, Tulare Lake basin, California
The Tulare Lake basin in the southern Central Valley of California is heavily dependent upon groundwater for drinking water supply but groundwater in this basin is threatened by a wide array of issues. Groundwater aquifers in the alluvial fan sediments derived from the Sierra Nevada on the eastern side of the Tulare Lake basin are highly productive aquifers that are vulnerable to contamination...
Subsidence from Aquifer-Storage and Recovery in the East Bay Plain
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has proposed to store and recover as much as 10 million gallons of water per day (MGD) at an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) site, the Bayside Groundwater Project. Water will be stored in a 100-ft sequence of coarse-grained sediment (the "Deep Aquifer") underlying the East Bay Plain and the adjacent Niles Cone ground-water basin.
Simulating Land Subsidence
The California Water Science Center has been involved in multiple studies simulating land subsidence associated with groundwater withdrawal. The simulations can be used to estimate the magnitude, location, and timing of subsidence. They can also be used to evaluate management strategies to mitigate adverse effects from subsidence while also optimizing water availability.
Land Subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the nation. Beginning around the 1920's, farmers relied upon groundwater for water supply. Over time, overpumping caused groundwater-level declines and associated aquifer-system compaction and land subsidence that resulted in permanent aquifer-system storage loss.
Yucaipa Subbasin Integrated Hydrologic Model
The USGS is developing a hydrologic model of the Yucaipa Subbasin to aid in evaluating and managing the groundwater resources in the area. The study results will provide a greater understanding of the geohydrology of the subbasin, and aid in the development of a groundwater-monitoring plan, as well as in the evaluation of potential hydrologic effects of future groundwater development and...