
Groundwater is water present in the cracks and spaces of soil, sand and rock. It is stored and collected in a usable quantity in saturated geological units calledaquifers. These are water-bearing stratums of permeable rock or sand, can stretch for miles, serving thousands of groundwater wells connected with each other. Since all wells of the same aquifer are connected, extracting water from one well might affect other wells.
This means when you use any aquifer detectors method and extract groundwater, it may affect other people, no matter how far are they living. The effect could be either positive or negative, depending on the method you apply.
Aquifers never go dry; rain recharges them every time. However, lack of rain and too much extracting of water may make them run dry. When these world’s reserve water tank, go dry, you eventually lost groundwater. Groundwater is the source of Life on Earth. It recharges lakes, rivers and streams. Nearly three million trillion gallons of groundwater, which makes one-third of the world’s fresh water, is estimated for the Earth. More than half of the population in the United States and 99% of the total population living in rural communities depend on groundwater to carry down their everyday chores.
Taking the above stats into consideration, it would not be wrong to say how crucial our roles are when it comes to preserving groundwater. Not limited to local authorities and government, we also can play a pivotal role in saving one of the most important natural resources. It is simple – we need to understand about aquifers.
Comprehending the existence and characteristics of aquifers is important in order to manage the use and impacts of groundwater. The understanding aquifer, however, is not as simple as it may seem given that the water table depth can rise or fall, depending on the time of year. When the snow starts to melt and rain starts heavily, water present beneath the surface of the earth infuriates into the ground and the water table starts rising. On the other hand, in the spring, when plants grow, the water table starts to fall. This process of rising and fall is known as evapotranspiration.
Moreover, visualizing groundwater is complex as the subsurface water saturates pores in rocks and is replenished by precipitation and is unevenly distributed in quantity. In the rainy season, some water evaporates, some flows overland, some is transpired by plants, and some infiltrates into the rocks or soils. Water that infiltrated into the rocks is replaced with the evaporated water. However, there remains a little amount of water in the unsaturated zone, between the aquifer water and the land surface. When rain occurs, usually the heaviest ones, the zone may become almost saturated; after a long dry spell, it may be almost dry. Adhesion and cohesion make some quantity of water held between the aquifer water and the land surface. This water will not flow towards a well.
Obtaining the water table depth can be possible with the help measuring the water level in a shallow well using a tape. One can also assess aquifer potential and depth with geo-electrical and surface hydraulic measurement parameters. Both can be used to detect water beneath the surface of the earth accurately and determine the depth, quantity, and quality of the water. Not limited to quality or quantity, one can also get to understand the hydrologic and geologic features of the water with these methods. Also, nature gives hint about the occurrence of groundwater or the areas where water is at the surface, although not necessarily in large quantities. All you need to understand the signs and have some knowledge of various techniques.
Other ways to protect groundwater include: use native plants, reduce chemical use, properly dispose of waste, install water-conserving models, use water smartly and wisely, reuse stuff, etc.









