How Groundwater Affects Environmental Sustainability

The The New York Times continues to put out fantastic deep dives on the state of US groundwater. Their recent deep-dive highlights the precarious state of America's groundwater. It's paywalled, so I wanted to summarize their recent article https://lnkd.in/eg_teyhK because it's incredibly important we all understand the issues. To paraphrase James Eklund on Will Sarni's podcast "The Stream": This isn't an urban vs. farm issue. We are all in this together. And we have a big incentive to figure it out, or the state could come take water rights (and that the “just compensation” is likely to be far less than they would like). Summary from the NY Times article: Regulatory Patchwork: A complex web of state and local rules has led to a situation where oversight is often minimal, if not entirely absent. Agricultural Impact: While farmers warn against over-regulation, the lack of oversight is leading to significant aquifer depletion, threatening both drinking water supplies and agricultural viability. It's clear incentives are needed to accelerate irrigation modernization. It can't just be a "farmers have to foot the bill to fix this" thing. Data Drought: Many states lack comprehensive data on well numbers and water usage, leading to under-reporting and potential exploitation of resources. It's clear technology is needed to unlock usage data that will benefit the farmer, and can be shared with the state. Economic Incentives: Tax deductions for high water use in stressed areas and financial penalties that barely dent the budgets of large users are exacerbating the problem. It's clear we need a well regulated system that improves conservation credits... or maybe even one that builds on existing water-rights to cap, track & trade... but some market mechanism would benefit everyone. The Call for Change: Some states are beginning to tighten regulations, but a nationwide reevaluation of groundwater policies is urgently needed. We see a lot of "stick" regulations right now. But we need more "carrot" policies for farmers so that we don't force them out of business and trade water security for food security. As someone deeply invested in water efficiency and sustainability, these revelations are alarming. Even more concerning is the deafening silence we hear about this on the policy stage... especially compared to the screams we hear about carbon. It's clear that we need a unified approach to groundwater management that respects both our environmental limits and agricultural necessities. Let's not wait for a full-blown crisis to act. It's time for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to safeguard this vital resource for future generations. #WaterConservation #SustainableAgriculture #EnvironmentalPolicy John Farner Val Fishman Mike Hemman Christine Wente von Metzsch Allison Jordan Marcus Trotta Val King

🌍 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥—𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞! 🔍 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥: ➡️ 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫: Shows the power of confined groundwater under pressure. Think of it like a natural fountain, ready to spring up when tapped! This highlights the significance of confined aquifers in providing a reliable water source. ➡️ 𝐏𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥: Demonstrates what happens when we pump water out. It might seem like an endless supply, but over-pumping can quickly change the system, affecting nearby lakes, streams, and even other wells. ➡️ 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬: Injecting treated water back into aquifers to recharge them—could this be part of the solution for future water shortages? 🌱 This concept is gaining attention as a method to improve water security and ensure long-term sustainability. ➡️ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: A crucial piece that keeps certain water trapped in its place, ensuring some groundwater stays clean and uncontaminated. ➡️ 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Notice the spread? This model also highlights how contamination can move through groundwater, affecting large areas far from the original source. 📌 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭? Understanding groundwater dynamics helps us protect it. 💙 Whether it's managing water for a community, deciding where to place wells, or assessing risks of contamination—it's all about balance. Overdrawing from these underground reserves can lead to dropping water levels, dried-up wells, land subsidence, and significant environmental impacts. Effective groundwater management is key to ensuring that our communities have access to clean and sufficient water. It also plays a role in maintaining ecological balance and protecting water quality. 💬 What do you think? 🤓 🎥 Lower Platte South NRD YT. *𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘦. ----------------- 👇👇👇𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔, 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆: 🔍 Follow Karoline Qasem, PhD, PE, PMP, CFM, #20MinRule 🔔 Click the bell icon on my profile 👍 Like 🔁 Repost --------------- #Groundwater #WaterResources #Hydrology #SustainableWater #Aquifers #EnvironmentalEngineering #WaterManagement #GroundwaterModel #HydraulicEngineering #WaterConservation #EarthScience #GroundwaterRecharge #WaterQuality #AquiferRecharge #EnvironmentalScience #ClimateAdaptation #WaterSecurity #WaterSustainability #Hydrogeology

BIODIVERSITY FILES No.507: The Southern Cavefish (Typhlichthys subterraneus) has the largest range of any of the cavefishes in North America. It ranges from northwestern Georgia west to Missouri. The species generally exhibits very little or no pigment. The eye sockets are there but there are no eyes. What look like white eyes are actually small fat pockets beneath the area where the eyes should be. The average adult is somewhere around 6.4cm (~2.5") to 7.6cm (~3"). The Niemiller lab is working on the genetics of this group. The species is listed as a "G3" or "globally vulnerable species" by the IUCN. I have had the great good fortune to snorkel cave waterways where I have seen dozens of individuals. I've enjoyed my time photographing them. For those out in the public reading this, you might ask yourselves, “why should I care about species that are out of sight and out of mind, living below my feet in groundwater?” Most species of groundwater wildlife are threatened by excessive removal of groundwater and/or contamination of the resource. The irony here is that the people involved with the polluting or enacting excessive water removal typically rely on the same groundwater for their freshwater needs. This is true across the vast majority of the rural communities involved. Protecting groundwater quality and quantity for the wildlife living there would also secure the freshwater resource upon which these human communities are critically reliant. Did you know that nearly half of all US citizens rely directly on groundwater for their freshwater needs? Healthy populations of groundwater species tell us about the quality of our drinking water across time. These animals live in the resource and will be exposed to contaminants that come and go – including contaminants that pass through quickly and would be missed by routine water testing. Their population health is a great indicator and should be used in tandem with routine water sample testing. Even if you aren’t prone to protecting the environment, isn’t that something that you should value? – a mechanism for deciphering the quality of your drinking water. #Groundwater #CaveFish #Adapted #Adaptation #Stygobitic #Stygobiont #Troglobitic #Troglobiont #Subterranean #Cave #WellWaterQuality #Typhlichthys_subterraneus #WeCanDoBetterThanThis