Central Valley Aquifer
1 states · 52,000 sq km · mixed
Critical Depletion Risk
About the Central Valley Aquifer
The Central Valley Aquifer system underlies California's most productive agricultural region. Decades of groundwater pumping have caused dramatic land subsidence — in some areas, the ground surface has dropped over 30 feet.
Area
52,000 km²
Depth Range
500–3,000 ft
States
1
Rock Type
Alluvium
Key Facts
- ▸Produces more agricultural output than any comparable area in the world
- ▸Land subsidence of 30+ feet observed in some areas
- ▸Subject to SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act) regulation since 2014
- ▸Confined and semi-confined layers separated by clay aquitards
- ▸Critical overdraft basins must reach sustainability by 2040
States Overlying the Central Valley Aquifer
Explore Water Assets Over the Central Valley Aquifer
See every tracked spring, well, and water right that draws from this aquifer on our interactive map.
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