Ground-water levels at the end of 1954 were at or near record-low stages throughout most of the southern two-thirds of the United States. These low stages, like those of the early 1930's, have led to frequent expression of the opinion that the water table throughout the country is continuously falling and that we are gradually exhausting our ground-water supplies. A good record of changes in ground-water levels is being obtained by the United States Geological Survey and cooperating State agencies from periodical measurements of water levels in nearly 20,000 observation wells. The records of some of these wells extend back 50 years. Many records are available for the period beginning in 1934. These long-term records indicate that in some areas the ground-water supply is overdeveloped. In the great majority of areas, however, the stage of the water levels correlates with the precipitation. Much of the country has been in drought and the water levels are at a low stage. As the precipitation increases, as it is bound to do later, the water levels will return to higher stages.
