California sees big dividends in groundwater supply thanks to wet winter duo
An extraordinary water year brought much-needed relief to a drought-stricken Golden State, but experts say California needs several more exceptionally wet years to repair lingering damage to precious underground water supplies. The newest Semi-Annual Groundwater Conditions report — using the first annual data collected from groundwater sustainability agencies across 99 basins holding more than 90% of the state’s groundwater — indicates the state has gained 4.1 million acre-feet of water through underground recharge, nearly the total storage capacity of Shasta Lake. Meanwhile, underground storage improved by 8.7 million acre-feet. Thanks to the surprise string of record-breaking storms, 2023 marked the first year since 2019 that agencies saw a jump in groundwater storage.
Related groundwater articles:
- PBS News Hour: California reports the first increase in groundwater supplies in 4 years
- KTLA – Los Angeles: California’s groundwater supply received big boost from ’23 water year