Dwindling groundwater, ever-deeper wells could spell trouble for Arizonans

Araceli Silva moved to her colonia near Yuma decades ago 27 years ago. She’s struggled with her wells, which have run dry more than once. A new study finds that wells that bring groundwater to the surface are being dug deeper to tap dwindling aquifers. (Photo by Maria Esquinca/News21)

PHOENIX – Wells are drying up because groundwater is being depleted, and that affects food production and access to drinking water. Wells that bring groundwater to the surface are being dug deeper to tap dwindling aquifers, according to a new study. These deeper wells may be a stopgap measure, but researchers warn it’s not a sustainable practice.

By compiling decades of records for nearly 2 million groundwater wells across the country, researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara paint a disturbing picture of farmers, industrial users and residents drilling ever deeper to access what is, in some parts of the country, a disappearing resource.

“What our paper really gets to is the fact that we are drilling deeper over time,” said UC-Santa Barbara professor Debra Perrone, a co-author of the study. “And we suggest that drilling deeper is a stopgap to groundwater depletion.”

The problem is most acute […]

Full article: Dwindling groundwater, ever-deeper wells could spell trouble for Arizonans