Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions - Long Island

Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions - When groundwater is pumped from the aquifer system, it reduces the amount of water that discharges to ponds, streams, and coastal waters. This reduction in groundwater can result in a lowering of pond levels, reduced streamflow, and a change in salinity in coastal waters. It can also upset the balance between fresh and saline groundwater along the coast thereby allowing salty groundwater to migrate landward by a process referred to as saltwater intrusion. If this salty groundwater is withdrawn by nearby pumping wells, the water quality of the pumped water may not be fit for human consumption.