Water withdrawals and trends from the Floridan aquifer system in the southeastern United States, 1950-2000

The Floridan aquifer system in the southeastern United States is one of the most productive aquifers in the world (Miller, 1990). This aquifer system underlies an area of about 100,000 square miles in southern Alabama, eastern and southern Georgia, southeastern Mississippi, southern South Carolina, and all of Florida. The Floridan aquifer system is the primary source of water for nearly 10 million people and supports agriculture, industry, and tourism throughout most of the region. In most areas, water from this aquifer is potable and needs very little treatment before use. However, in southern Florida (south of Lake Okeechobee), northwestern Florida and southern Alabama and Mississippi (Pensacola and westward), and eastern South Carolina, water in the aquifer system generally is not potable.

The purpose of this report is to:

Provide a general description of the Floridan aquifer system;

Discuss water withdrawals by category for 2000;

Highlight trends in water withdrawals between 1950 and 2000; and

Provide a brief summary on the effects that human impacts have on the Floridan aquifer system.