Hidden Aquifer Could Change How And Where We Search For Water

Scientists have uncovered a massive reservoir of water in Oregon’s Cascade Range mountains. Researchers from the University of Oregon studying volcanic terrain mapped the amount of water stored beneath the crest of the central Oregon Cascades, discovering an aquifer significantly larger than previously thought.

Measuring around 19.4 cubic miles — or 21 trillion gallons — the aquifer has three times the capacity of Lake Mead, which supplies water along the Colorado River to California, Arizona, and Nevada. However, Lake Mead is dangerously overdrawn, a fact which all three states have struggled with.

In addition to shaping scientists’ understanding of volcanic hazards in the area (the primary focus of the study), this finding offers hope and opportunity to rethink how water is drawn in the Western United States.