Tag archives for groundwater
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By Peyton Fleming, Ceres DENVER – Hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking) has recast the U.S.’s energy future, but it’s also shining a light on fragile water supplies, which could crimp the industry’s growth. The pinch is especially strong on shale energy producers and state regulators who are scrambling to find ways to keep the water flowing…
Tapped Out: How Will Cities Secure Their Water Future?
Posted by Brian Richter of The Nature Conservancy and University of Virginia in Water Currents on May 8, 2013 
Today, global demands for food, energy, and shelter are putting unprecedented pressure on the resources of the planet. Water is at the heart of this crisis. In fact, more than half of the world’s cities are already experiencing water shortages on a recurring basis – based on findings from a study that I published, along…
Parallel Worlds: Water Management in Israel and California
Posted by Jay Famiglietti of University of California, Irvine in Water Currents on February 27, 2013 
Posted from Jerusalem by Kate Voss, UCCHM Water Policy Fellow. This is the second in a series of posts on our Water Diplomacy trip to Israel, Jordan and Palestine. Other posts in the series: 1) Middle East Lost a Dead Sea Amount of Water in 7 Years, by Jay Famiglietti ; and 3) Desalinating Holy…
The Middle East Lost a Dead Sea-Size Amount of Water in 7 Years
Posted by Jay Famiglietti of University of California, Irvine in Water Currents on February 22, 2013 Posted from Amman, Jordan. This is the first in a series of posts on our water diplomacy trip to Israel, Jordan and Palestine. Other posts in the series: 2) Parallel Worlds: Water Management in Israel and California, by UCCHM Policy Fellow Kate Voss; 3) Desalinating Holy Waters with the Red Sea – Dead Sea Conveyance,…
Four Water Resolutions for a New Year
Posted by Brian Richter of The Nature Conservancy and University of Virginia in Water Currents on January 2, 2013 
Yes, it’s that time again – time to reflect on the year that has passed, and anticipate what could come of the year ahead. My head has been unusually full of water lately, to the point of distraction. Over the holidays I worked through two chapters of a new water book and set the course…
By Andrew Fahlund and Rebecca Nelson You don’t expect to see water in the highest, biggest mountain desert in North America—the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. But it’s there. Two major aquifers support ephemeral lakes, wetlands, springs, and a broad, dense patchwork of farms—the highest farmland in the U.S. The Rio Grande also winds through…
Our Oversized Groundwater Footprint
Posted by Sandra Postel of National Geographic's Freshwater Initiative in Water Currents on August 13, 2012 
We don’t see it, smell it or hear it, but the tragedy unfolding underground is nonetheless real – and it spells big trouble. I’m talking about the depletion of groundwater, the stores of H2O contained in geologic formations called aquifers, which billions of people depend upon to supply their drinking water and grow their food.…
That Sinking Feeling About Groundwater in Texas
Posted by Sandra Postel of National Geographic's Freshwater Initiative in Water Currents on July 19, 2012 
In case we need another example of the disturbing ramifications of extreme drought for our future water security, we can look to recent news out of northwest Texas. The High Plains Water District, based in Lubbock, recently reported that the 2011-12 drought drove groundwater levels in its sixteen-county service area to drop an average of…
I recently wrote a piece for the Hydrology Newsletter of the American Geophysical Union — the international professional society of Earth and Space scientists based in the United States — and I thought that the modified version presented here would be important to share with the readership of Water Currents. Here’s the set-up. A critical…
The Endangered Waters Beneath Our Feet
Posted by Sandra Postel of National Geographic's Freshwater Initiative in Water Currents on May 22, 2012 
Last week, the conservation organization American Rivers released its annual list of the nation’s most-endangered rivers. I got to thinking, what if we had a sister list of most-endangered aquifers? After all, water from underground meets 20 percent of U.S. water demand for drinking, crop irrigation and everything else. It also provides the…
HeadsUp! from Heads Up! 2012 on Vimeo.
Since today is World Water Day, I thought that I would kick off my contributions to the Water Currents blog with a renewed wake-up call. It’s one that you’ve heard before, from me and from many, many others — that groundwater is being depleted at a rapid clip in many of the world’s major aquifers…
Texas Water District Acts to Slow Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer
Posted by Sandra Postel of National Geographic's Freshwater Initiative in Water Currents on February 7, 2012 
A group of farmers in northwest Texas began 2012 under circumstances their forbearers could scarcely imagine: they faced a limit on the amount of groundwater they could pump from their own wells on their own property. The new rule issued by the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District, based in Lubbock, declares that water pumped…
California Farmers Go Deep into Water Debt During Drought
Posted by Sandra Postel of National Geographic's Freshwater Initiative in Water Currents on February 28, 2011 
We all know the dangers of not balancing our check books: we could withdraw from our bank accounts more than we’ve deposited, and get fined-or worse-for overdrawing. You’d think we’d manage our groundwater accounts at least as carefully as our bank accounts, especially given that the food security of this and future generations depends on…
Groundwater Depletion Raises Likelihood of Global Food Crises
Posted by Sandra Postel of National Geographic's Freshwater Initiative in Water Currents on September 27, 2010 Out of sight, out of mind means deep trouble when it comes to the reserves of freshwater stored underground. New numbers are out on the rate of groundwater depletion around the globe, and if they hold up to further scrutiny, the world is almost certainly facing a future of food shortages. In an upcoming issue…
