Groundwater is a critical resource used for drinking water, agriculture, industry as well as helping sustain vegetation and wildlife. More than 50 percent of stream flow in rivers comes from groundwater. Because groundwater and surface water are an interconnected resource, managing these water resources can be challenging during drought. USGS scientists and resources, such as the National Water Information System, are providing critical information needed to manage our water resources.
USGS scientists are developing new models and tools to help water managers balance water resources. Using data from the USGS National Water Information System, satellites, and models, we are increasing our understanding of how drought impacts groundwater resources.
Groundwater and Drought: How does USGS contribute to our understanding of groundwater and drought?
The USGS Groundwater Resources Program provides current fundamental information for managing groundwater resources including
- Active Groundwater Level Network: Provides water level measurements for more than 21,000 wells across the country.
- Climate Response Network: Monitor effects of drought on groundwater levels using water levels from a well network.
- Below Normal Groundwater Level Map: Shows wells with a record of 10 or more years that have water-level measurements in the 24th percentile or lower for the current month.
Integrating GRACE Satellite and Ground-based Estimates of Groundwater Storage Changes
Groundwater storage depletion is a critical issue for many of the major aquifers in the U.S., particularly during intense droughts. The GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites launched in 2002, with sensors designed to measure changes in the Earth’s gravitational field at large spatial scales (≥ ~200,000 km2). We are combining ground- and model-based groundwater storage estimates with GRACE data to construct a national map of groundwater depletion. Long-term trends and spatial and temporal variability in groundwater storage changes will be examined and uncertainties in each approach will be evaluated. The integrated dataset will be used to assess natural versus anthropogenic variations in groundwater storage in response to droughts and floods. This analysis should significantly enhance our understanding of groundwater storage changes and inform groundwater management decision making.
Potential Impacts of Prospective Climate Change on Groundwater Recharge in the Western United States
Groundwater withdrawals in the western US are a critical component of the water resources strategy for the region. Climate change already may be substantially altering recharge into groundwater systems; however, the quantity and direction (increase or decrease) of changes are relatively unknown as most climate change assessments have focused on surface water systems. We are conducting a broad scale literature review followed by a synthesis of available data, analysis and simulations with available downscaled climate scenarios to understand how recharge in the western US might respond to plausible climatic shifts during the rest of the 21st Century. We will produce an estimated range of impacts on groundwater recharge across the region and in so doing develop a research portfolio of knowledge gaps that present major obstacles to further progress.
Groundwater is a critical resource used for drinking water, agriculture, industry as well as helping sustain vegetation and wildlife. More than 50 percent of stream flow in rivers comes from groundwater. Because groundwater and surface water are an interconnected resource, managing these water resources can be challenging during drought. USGS scientists and resources, such as the National Water Information System, are providing critical information needed to manage our water resources.
USGS scientists are developing new models and tools to help water managers balance water resources. Using data from the USGS National Water Information System, satellites, and models, we are increasing our understanding of how drought impacts groundwater resources.
Groundwater and Drought: How does USGS contribute to our understanding of groundwater and drought?
The USGS Groundwater Resources Program provides current fundamental information for managing groundwater resources including
- Active Groundwater Level Network: Provides water level measurements for more than 21,000 wells across the country.
- Climate Response Network: Monitor effects of drought on groundwater levels using water levels from a well network.
- Below Normal Groundwater Level Map: Shows wells with a record of 10 or more years that have water-level measurements in the 24th percentile or lower for the current month.
Integrating GRACE Satellite and Ground-based Estimates of Groundwater Storage Changes
Groundwater storage depletion is a critical issue for many of the major aquifers in the U.S., particularly during intense droughts. The GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites launched in 2002, with sensors designed to measure changes in the Earth’s gravitational field at large spatial scales (≥ ~200,000 km2). We are combining ground- and model-based groundwater storage estimates with GRACE data to construct a national map of groundwater depletion. Long-term trends and spatial and temporal variability in groundwater storage changes will be examined and uncertainties in each approach will be evaluated. The integrated dataset will be used to assess natural versus anthropogenic variations in groundwater storage in response to droughts and floods. This analysis should significantly enhance our understanding of groundwater storage changes and inform groundwater management decision making.
Potential Impacts of Prospective Climate Change on Groundwater Recharge in the Western United States
Groundwater withdrawals in the western US are a critical component of the water resources strategy for the region. Climate change already may be substantially altering recharge into groundwater systems; however, the quantity and direction (increase or decrease) of changes are relatively unknown as most climate change assessments have focused on surface water systems. We are conducting a broad scale literature review followed by a synthesis of available data, analysis and simulations with available downscaled climate scenarios to understand how recharge in the western US might respond to plausible climatic shifts during the rest of the 21st Century. We will produce an estimated range of impacts on groundwater recharge across the region and in so doing develop a research portfolio of knowledge gaps that present major obstacles to further progress.