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Study: Nation's Aquifers Being Rapidly Depleted

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey has found that the country's aquifers are being drawn down at an "accelerating rate."

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Windmill at Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge pumping water from the Ogallala Aquifer.
Credit: panoramio.com

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey has found that the country's aquifers are being depleted at an "accelerating rate." The study, which evaluated 40 aquifers in the U.S., found that the highest rate of depletion occurred during the most recent period of study, from 2000 to 2008, with an average annual depletion rate of almost 25 cubic kilometers per year (the equivalent of nearly 25 billion tons of water).

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