Groundwater deep beneath L.A. area slow to recharge, study finds
The rainstorms that drenched Southern California two years ago weren’t enough to replenish deep underground aquifers that had been depleted by pumping over the last two decades, a new study has found. Stanford University scientists analyzed how the historic 2023 storms affected groundwater levels across Los Angeles and Orange counties. They found that while shallow aquifers rebounded, deeper aquifers more than 150 feet underground regained only about 25% of the water they had lost to pumping since 2006.
Other aquifer and reservoir news across the West:
- Stanford University: News release: Los Angeles groundwater remained depleted after 2023 deluge, study finds
- Courthouse News Service: Even big storms can’t fill LA’s deepest aquifers, study finds
- ScienceNews: Even epic rainfall may not be enough to refill SoCal’s aquifers
- Manteca Bulletin (Calif.): Groundwater in good position to meet sustainability mandate: Satellite imagery indicates 6-inch drop in areas
- Discover: Lake Mead water levels drop again as snow drought takes over Western U.S.
- KSNV (Las Vegas, Nev.): Rainfall leaves Southern Nevada’s water supply largely unaffected, Lake Mead still low
