Report: Groundwater pumping in California drought causes land to sink faster than in past

Ever get that sinking feeling?

If you are living in drought-stricken California it is not your imagination.
with all the water being pumped out from underneath their feet one has to wonder if the stability of the very earth they stand on is still intact.
that, plus an active fault line seems like a recipe for giant sinkholes to open up underneath cities.
but what do I know?
with some places in California sinking up to 2 inches a month one has to wonder how low can you go?

By SCOTT SMITH, Associated Press

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) —Vast areas of California's Central Valley are sinking faster than in the past as massive amounts of groundwater are pumped during the historic drought, state officials said Wednesday, citing new research by NASA scientists.

The data shows the ground is sinking nearly two inches each month in some places, putting roads, bridges and vital canals that deliver water throughout the state at growing risk of damage.

Sinking land has occurred for decades in California because of excessive groundwater pumping during dry years, but the new data shows it is happening faster as the state endures its fourth year of drought.

a reply to: dashen

Luckily, I'm from Bakersfield and have family still there, and it seems that it experiences much less sinking than other areas, like around Fresno.



Hydrogeology of Bakersfield (it's interesting, if nothing else)

a reply to: dashen

I am sure it will be cheaper to rebuild the entire infrastructure then it would have been to desaliate water. And much better for the environment. - End Sarcasm