Lack Of Clear Rules Is Making The Country's Drought Problems Much Worse
The growth of one of water systems’ biggest problems may not be caused by climate change alone. New research shows that it could be accelerating thanks to poor management by regulators.
“The country’s stewardship of groundwater relies on a patchwork of state and local rules so lax and outdated that in many places, oversight is all but nonexistent,” The New York Times reported. “Heat, drought and erratic rainfall are making rivers and streams less reliable as water sources, while groundwater regulation in the United States is ‘Swiss cheese.’”
A separate report by the Times found that 40% of surveyed water wells have hit all-time low levels over the last decade and water systems throughout the country are now bearing the brunt of this worsening crisis. Officials in California are demanding revised consumption plans from their most vital farmers. Iowa is weighing novel programs to better preserve its drying resources. And groups of states are seeking ways to develop more cooperative uses of shared rivers.
But it’s not clear how long these measures will be able to hold off more substantial collapses as the lack of regulation increasingly imperils groundwater levels.
“Rain and surface water (are) like a checking account, and groundwater a savings account,” according to the Times. “Normally, you want to use your checking account and not dip into savings. But as climate changes, people — particularly farmers — are dipping into our collective savings more and more.”
In California, an American epicenter of increasing drought, the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) has received new funding to clarify regulations governing the use of local groundwater. If it is successful in getting a clearer picture on groundwater use and then better protecting it, it could make initial strides toward filling in the existing gaps.
“SVBGSA is planning to install new monitoring wells and conduct tests to gather more information about the specific characteristics of the aquifers, concentrating on the areas where groundwater monitoring is lacking,” the King City Rustler reported. “The funding also supports expansion and enhancement of groundwater extraction monitoring and well registration, which are necessary actions to understand, model and manage the Salinas Valley Basin.”
To read more about how water systems are working to overcome climate-induced drought, visit Water Online’s Water Scarcity Solutions Center.