Analyzing the groundwater crisis
August 29, 2023 3:17 PM Subscribe
"America has been slow to learn the lessons of overpumping." The New York Times offers a powerfully researched and visualized account of the building crisis in America's groundwater supply. (SLNYT)
Consider my rants on this topic across the past 20 years put in the record here.
This isn't new news. It's just new news to the news business.
posted by hippybear at 3:20 PM on August 29, 2023 [17 favorites]
This isn't new news. It's just new news to the news business.
posted by hippybear at 3:20 PM on August 29, 2023 [17 favorites]
My ambient stress levels about the state of the climate/environment are so high that my gut reaction when I see headlines like this one while reading the news in the morning is to just close the app and do something brain dead like scroll IG for mountain bike videos. I can't handle knowing any more shit that's terrifying and completely out of my control.
posted by youthenrage at 4:04 PM on August 29, 2023 [22 favorites]
posted by youthenrage at 4:04 PM on August 29, 2023 [22 favorites]
The woes of the Colorado River system shortages have been getting a lot of news play over the last few years. Arizona has been subject to cuts in their CAP supply, and the first to be affected has been farmers. What was Gov Ducey’s strategy to help those farmers? Why, give them money to for wells and such so they could use groundwater instead. You know, the groundwater than has been pumped so far down that parts of the state have dropped by 10-20 feet due to subsidence? The groundwater that used to be high enough that we had some running rivers here in southern Arizona? The groundwater that has been drained by alfalfa farms growing crops to be shipped overseas, drained to the point that residents near the farms have abandoned houses because their well is dry and they can’t afford to drill it down hundreds more feet?
Yeah. Groundwater overpumping is nothing new here. And nothing will happen until it gets pumped so far down that corporations can’t grow things anymore, and people have no water for their homes. By then, it will be too late. They’re already trying to cook the numbers here so that they can build even more subdivisions in the Phoenix metro, even though the state water department has already said those areas can’t show a guaranteed supply. The developers are lobbying the lawmakers hard as hell about that… Hey, there’s money to be made so drill, baby, drill.
posted by azpenguin at 6:33 PM on August 29, 2023 [16 favorites]
Yeah. Groundwater overpumping is nothing new here. And nothing will happen until it gets pumped so far down that corporations can’t grow things anymore, and people have no water for their homes. By then, it will be too late. They’re already trying to cook the numbers here so that they can build even more subdivisions in the Phoenix metro, even though the state water department has already said those areas can’t show a guaranteed supply. The developers are lobbying the lawmakers hard as hell about that… Hey, there’s money to be made so drill, baby, drill.
posted by azpenguin at 6:33 PM on August 29, 2023 [16 favorites]
I've been watching this situation evolve for at least the last 30 years. Has anything changed? Are we still draining the Ogallala? Has the San Joaquin Valley stopped subsiding? Where was the NYT 30 years ago? I'm not saying they didn't publish articles about it then, I just didn't happen to see it then, when I might have actually been reading them. Cadillac Desert was written a long time ago.
posted by mollweide at 6:53 PM on August 29, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by mollweide at 6:53 PM on August 29, 2023 [7 favorites]
azpenguin, I have to ask, what do people who live there think about their water supply if they think about it all?
posted by mollweide at 7:00 PM on August 29, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by mollweide at 7:00 PM on August 29, 2023 [5 favorites]
It's crazy that right now much of what little water is left is being wasted by irrigating subsidized crops grown in deserts, which could easily be grown somewhere else with less irrigation.
posted by ovvl at 9:05 PM on August 29, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 9:05 PM on August 29, 2023 [4 favorites]
Slow!, I'll say, we covered the Ogallala Aquifer in high school in England in 1978.
I often meet eager scientists databasing well known problems in NZ too, sure data's essential, but lot of the time it looms like avoidance.
posted by unearthed at 9:13 PM on August 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
I often meet eager scientists databasing well known problems in NZ too, sure data's essential, but lot of the time it looms like avoidance.
posted by unearthed at 9:13 PM on August 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
azpenguin, I have to ask, what do people who live there think about their water supply if they think about it all?
People are well aware there’s a problem, and they know something has to be done about it, but it’s not top of mind. Typically people don’t think about it too much until it affects them. It hasn’t had a drastic effect on most Arizonans at all, but that doesn’t mean it can’t become a problem suddenly. There are massive alfalfa growing operations here that are owned by the Saudis, and they have been absolutely devouring groundwater in some areas, leading to dry wells for homeowners. Deep pocketed farms can always afford to drill deeper. But your average homeowner… they can’t. Wells typically cost $100 per foot or more to drill. Imagine if you had nothing coming out of your tap and you were told you needed to have your well drilled another 100-200 feet. Most people couldn’t afford that. For those people, it’s become all too real, to the point where deep red areas who have resisted all government regulation have decided that yes, there need to be rules and laws about water use.
Speaking of farms… they’re the ones who are using the water. Agriculture uses somewhere around 75% of Arizona’s water. Residents are much, much better about water usage these days. The per capita water usage where I’m at is around 80 gallons per day which is low. In 1959, the state had a million residents, in 2019, 7 million. The state as a whole actually used *less* water that year than back in ‘59. We’re going to have to figure out how much agriculture we can sustain here, and what growing methods. If there’s more severe cuts due to Lake Mead dropping, a lot of fields are gonna be empty.
posted by azpenguin at 9:22 PM on August 29, 2023 [10 favorites]
People are well aware there’s a problem, and they know something has to be done about it, but it’s not top of mind. Typically people don’t think about it too much until it affects them. It hasn’t had a drastic effect on most Arizonans at all, but that doesn’t mean it can’t become a problem suddenly. There are massive alfalfa growing operations here that are owned by the Saudis, and they have been absolutely devouring groundwater in some areas, leading to dry wells for homeowners. Deep pocketed farms can always afford to drill deeper. But your average homeowner… they can’t. Wells typically cost $100 per foot or more to drill. Imagine if you had nothing coming out of your tap and you were told you needed to have your well drilled another 100-200 feet. Most people couldn’t afford that. For those people, it’s become all too real, to the point where deep red areas who have resisted all government regulation have decided that yes, there need to be rules and laws about water use.
Speaking of farms… they’re the ones who are using the water. Agriculture uses somewhere around 75% of Arizona’s water. Residents are much, much better about water usage these days. The per capita water usage where I’m at is around 80 gallons per day which is low. In 1959, the state had a million residents, in 2019, 7 million. The state as a whole actually used *less* water that year than back in ‘59. We’re going to have to figure out how much agriculture we can sustain here, and what growing methods. If there’s more severe cuts due to Lake Mead dropping, a lot of fields are gonna be empty.
posted by azpenguin at 9:22 PM on August 29, 2023 [10 favorites]
The east coast data was surprising to me.
posted by joeyh at 9:59 PM on August 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by joeyh at 9:59 PM on August 29, 2023 [3 favorites]
The east coast data was surprising to me.
That, I think, is the reason to read the article. There's a lot of "well I already knew that!" in the responses here, but what surprised me was to think of how many communities in the east rely on wells for drinking water. Mine certainly does. And most of the houses in my rural area also have wells, to avoid paying for water. And we're laying down new neighborhoods as fast as we can plow down forests.
I think I was thinking along the lines of, well, here's climate change making it wetter, so we'll probably be able to refill things--so reading about the way California's rains didn't really replenish their aquifers, but just traveled in swollen rivers to the ocean, was sobering. Not to mention the saltwater encroachment.
posted by mittens at 4:41 AM on August 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
That, I think, is the reason to read the article. There's a lot of "well I already knew that!" in the responses here, but what surprised me was to think of how many communities in the east rely on wells for drinking water. Mine certainly does. And most of the houses in my rural area also have wells, to avoid paying for water. And we're laying down new neighborhoods as fast as we can plow down forests.
I think I was thinking along the lines of, well, here's climate change making it wetter, so we'll probably be able to refill things--so reading about the way California's rains didn't really replenish their aquifers, but just traveled in swollen rivers to the ocean, was sobering. Not to mention the saltwater encroachment.
posted by mittens at 4:41 AM on August 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
Huge industrial farms and sprawling cities are draining aquifers that could take centuries or millenniums to replenish themselves if they recover at all.
"Millenniums?" Really, New York Times? Shouldn't it be millennia??
Sorry, I needed to make a stupid joke cuz that article, uh, jeez. Ugh.
posted by slogger at 6:49 AM on August 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
"Millenniums?" Really, New York Times? Shouldn't it be millennia??
Sorry, I needed to make a stupid joke cuz that article, uh, jeez. Ugh.
posted by slogger at 6:49 AM on August 30, 2023 [3 favorites]
Thanks, azpenguin. My spouse and I have talked about moving to New Mexico eventually, but I just can't bring myself to do it because of the presumed future state of water supply there.
posted by mollweide at 7:49 AM on August 30, 2023
posted by mollweide at 7:49 AM on August 30, 2023
Please allow me to be the second on this page and the 500th in the history of Metafilter to recommend Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water (Mark Reisner, 1986).
I'll also recommend Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River (David Own, 2017).
posted by neuron at 10:28 AM on August 30, 2023 [8 favorites]
I'll also recommend Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River (David Own, 2017).
posted by neuron at 10:28 AM on August 30, 2023 [8 favorites]
Here in Michigan we are relatively water rich, in large part because of the amount of ancient glacier activity, but despite that, our wells are not immune. Due to excessive pumping to support sand and gravel mining operations — ostensibly to assist with infrastructural needs (roads in Michigan are famously awful) — some wells are drying up completely, and quickly. On my route to work, I drive past a flock of road signs that read "Our wells are not well," advertising this link for more information. These sorts of mining operations are springing up all over the place, having disastrous impact on drinking water supply and ecosystems.
posted by tempestuoso at 10:49 AM on August 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by tempestuoso at 10:49 AM on August 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
Thanks, azpenguin. My spouse and I have talked about moving to New Mexico eventually, but I just can't bring myself to do it because of the presumed future state of water supply there.
Do some research on different parts of the state. NM doesn't have the amount of agriculture that Arizona runs, and it's a beautiful state. It's desert, but I don't think the state is under the same water demands as Arizona.
posted by azpenguin at 3:53 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
Do some research on different parts of the state. NM doesn't have the amount of agriculture that Arizona runs, and it's a beautiful state. It's desert, but I don't think the state is under the same water demands as Arizona.
posted by azpenguin at 3:53 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
NM has some different watersheds that aren't the Colorado River, but it does have quite a bit of agriculture. Aside from its most famous crop of green chile, it also grows a LOT of pecans and quite a bit of cotton and a lot of onions. I'm sure other things are grown there, too. But there's a lot of NM that is simply not used for anything. I'm not sure the state even has 2 million people in it yet.
posted by hippybear at 4:16 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 4:16 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
Another book recommendation: The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California by Max Arax (2019) -- if only for the amazing photograph of the telephone pole out in the central valley with a ring something like fifty feet up that illustrates how far the land has sunk due to overpumping.
posted by Scarf Joint at 2:27 PM on September 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Scarf Joint at 2:27 PM on September 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
In France, the corrupt idiots who run the country want to pump the ground water up to the surface, so farmers can profit short-term, and where it can evaporate quickly.
posted by jeffburdges at 1:04 PM on September 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by jeffburdges at 1:04 PM on September 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Cadillac Desert came out in 1986...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Desert
posted by sneebler at 12:31 PM on September 4, 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Desert
posted by sneebler at 12:31 PM on September 4, 2023
As the poster here, I'm a bit frustrated with some of the responses, and am not sure how - or if - to post on the topic in the future.
To explain:
hippybear wrote:
This isn't new news. It's just new news to the news business.
With respect, I disagree.
I posted this for two reasons.
First, the Times actually did research, which the article describes. They broke new ground and shared the findings. Perhaps it's not shocking, what they found, but I can't see how this isn't useful.
Second, the Times has a very good information design team. They put a lot of work into this one, and I think the results are appealing. This matters because a lot of Earth and climate science can tend to the abstract; visualizing the material clearly seems beneficial to me, as someone who researches and tries to organize on the topic.
azpenguin wrote: Yeah. Groundwater overpumping is nothing new here.
That's certainly true in Arizona (if I infer correctly from your handle) and in other parts of the west. It is by no means well known elsewhere. Moreover, the article concerned *the entire* US, not just Az, and found - unsurprisingly - not only was water pumping a problem in most of the nation, but that it varied regionally.
mollweide wrote:
I've been watching this situation evolve for at least the last 30 years. Has anything changed? Are we still draining the Ogallala? Has the San Joaquin Valley stopped subsiding? Where was the NYT 30 years ago? I'm not saying they didn't publish articles about it then, I just didn't happen to see it then, when I might have actually been reading them. Cadillac Desert was written a long time ago.
I sympathize, believe me. And yet: has anything changed? Yes, according to the article's data, it's gotten worse and in more locations.
Did the Times publish on this in the 1990s? I'm honestly not sure - but I think what they researched here is actually useful.
////
Is there a better way to frame such new research for the blue?
Is there a problem with the source, knowing some MeFites criticize the NYT for various reasons (trans rights, foreign policy)?
Or is sharing new research too academic without some other context or setup?
posted by doctornemo at 3:13 PM on September 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
To explain:
hippybear wrote:
This isn't new news. It's just new news to the news business.
With respect, I disagree.
I posted this for two reasons.
First, the Times actually did research, which the article describes. They broke new ground and shared the findings. Perhaps it's not shocking, what they found, but I can't see how this isn't useful.
Second, the Times has a very good information design team. They put a lot of work into this one, and I think the results are appealing. This matters because a lot of Earth and climate science can tend to the abstract; visualizing the material clearly seems beneficial to me, as someone who researches and tries to organize on the topic.
azpenguin wrote: Yeah. Groundwater overpumping is nothing new here.
That's certainly true in Arizona (if I infer correctly from your handle) and in other parts of the west. It is by no means well known elsewhere. Moreover, the article concerned *the entire* US, not just Az, and found - unsurprisingly - not only was water pumping a problem in most of the nation, but that it varied regionally.
mollweide wrote:
I've been watching this situation evolve for at least the last 30 years. Has anything changed? Are we still draining the Ogallala? Has the San Joaquin Valley stopped subsiding? Where was the NYT 30 years ago? I'm not saying they didn't publish articles about it then, I just didn't happen to see it then, when I might have actually been reading them. Cadillac Desert was written a long time ago.
I sympathize, believe me. And yet: has anything changed? Yes, according to the article's data, it's gotten worse and in more locations.
Did the Times publish on this in the 1990s? I'm honestly not sure - but I think what they researched here is actually useful.
////
Is there a better way to frame such new research for the blue?
Is there a problem with the source, knowing some MeFites criticize the NYT for various reasons (trans rights, foreign policy)?
Or is sharing new research too academic without some other context or setup?
posted by doctornemo at 3:13 PM on September 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
I found this discussion frustrating for the same reasons. Maybe you and I approach topics like this the same way. We see the article, get interested, read it in detail and think about it and maybe do some more research. Then think "this is neat, I should share it on Mastodon / Metafilter / Reddit" hoping for some thoughtful engagement.
The problem is most people who see it don't pay that much attention. They see the headline, react and post their hot take, and move on. Typically for something like this on Metafilter half the comments are from people who didn't even read the article. It's even worse on social media platforms that show link previews; most replies are in response to the preview alone. It's incredibly shallow.
Sometimes Metafilter does better, sometimes it doesn't. I come here to learn more about a topic. Other people come here just to share quick opinions. I think many Metafilter members find that reasonable. Me, I prefer thoughtful informed comments that teach me something. FWIW in this discussion I appreciated the references to Cadillac Desert and some of the personal experiences of folks living in the West.
Anyway, to pick one explanation from your proposed three I'd say "too academic" with a shade of "too depressing". Also I think posts like this do better when there's a couple of different sources or an unusual angle, maybe pair this article with a great photoessay on subsidence or something.
(On topic: I recently read The Water Knife and sort of liked it. It's fiction, sort of "what if we turned Cadillac Desert into a Mad Max story?" It's awfully violent but also evocative.)
posted by Nelson at 4:09 PM on September 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
The problem is most people who see it don't pay that much attention. They see the headline, react and post their hot take, and move on. Typically for something like this on Metafilter half the comments are from people who didn't even read the article. It's even worse on social media platforms that show link previews; most replies are in response to the preview alone. It's incredibly shallow.
Sometimes Metafilter does better, sometimes it doesn't. I come here to learn more about a topic. Other people come here just to share quick opinions. I think many Metafilter members find that reasonable. Me, I prefer thoughtful informed comments that teach me something. FWIW in this discussion I appreciated the references to Cadillac Desert and some of the personal experiences of folks living in the West.
Anyway, to pick one explanation from your proposed three I'd say "too academic" with a shade of "too depressing". Also I think posts like this do better when there's a couple of different sources or an unusual angle, maybe pair this article with a great photoessay on subsidence or something.
(On topic: I recently read The Water Knife and sort of liked it. It's fiction, sort of "what if we turned Cadillac Desert into a Mad Max story?" It's awfully violent but also evocative.)
posted by Nelson at 4:09 PM on September 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Mod note: Just a quick note to remind people that early negative responses to posts don't encourage posters to post, and we're all here for the posting! If it's not something you think is important or interesting, or it's old news to you, or whatever, maybe visit a different thread rather than set a tone that discourages participation.
posted by taz (staff) at 2:28 AM on September 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by taz (staff) at 2:28 AM on September 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Nelson, thank you for the thoughtful reply.
Good idea about adding more sources. (You should see my space posts!) Hm, a photo essay to brighten the dark... will think about that one.
You guessed correctly about my own approach to MeFi:
We see the article, get interested, read it in detail and think about it and maybe do some more research. Then think "this is neat, I should share it on Mastodon / Metafilter / Reddit" hoping for some thoughtful engagement.
and
I come here to learn more about a topic.
posted by doctornemo at 6:29 AM on September 11, 2023
Good idea about adding more sources. (You should see my space posts!) Hm, a photo essay to brighten the dark... will think about that one.
You guessed correctly about my own approach to MeFi:
We see the article, get interested, read it in detail and think about it and maybe do some more research. Then think "this is neat, I should share it on Mastodon / Metafilter / Reddit" hoping for some thoughtful engagement.
and
I come here to learn more about a topic.
posted by doctornemo at 6:29 AM on September 11, 2023
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Part of the research for this article was "creating a comprehensive database using millions of readings from monitoring sites" for 80,000 wells. That sure sounds valuable, I'd love access to that collected data. In particular there's a lot of local stories that could be told in addition to this national overview.
posted by Nelson at 3:20 PM on August 29, 2023 [4 favorites]