Artificial recharge for subsidence abatement at the NASA-Johnson Space Center, Phase I

Regional decline of aquifer head due to ground-water withdrawal in the Houston area has caused extensive land-surface subsidence. The NASA Johnson Space Center (NASA-JSC) in southeastern Harris County was about 13 to 19 feet (4.0 to 5.8 meters) above mean sea level in 1974 and sinking at a rate of more than 0.2 foot (0.06 meter) per year. NASA-JSC officials, concerned about the hurricane flooding hazard, requested the U.S. Geological Survey to study the feasibility of artificially recharging the aquifers for subsidence abatement.