Groundwater Conservation

When groundwater is pumped, the elevation of the water surface in the vicinity of the wells often declines. The amount of decline is highest near the well, forming a cone of depression, also known as drawdown.

The size and shape of the cone is affected by many factors including the pumping rate, the characteristics of the aquifier, and the influence of nearby wells. Regional groundwater conservation efforts that employ pumping restrictions based on the amount of drawdown may not be effective in actually preserving the resource. In addition, drawdown based restrictions do not provide a fair allocation of the water to individual land owners.