WSP11739

• File Number: 8443.400
• Description: Narrows Project - Reports
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 1/1/1963
• Author: US DoI USGS
• Title: A Primer On Ground Water
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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drawak Figure 15 i~ a map which shows Ihe
total u"t' of lITound watf'r in 19/)0 hy ~t.1tt'.
;\rid and SI:miilfid area" in the W~t \\'hirh u.;ed
In depend on _ground water onh during limes of
droughl 110\\ IN> more 3nd nwn> of il for irri~a-
lion. I n fact, irri_g;lliofl is the lan!;t'st "in~k US<'"
of ~round W3tf'r. DurinI:' Ihf' IQ50\ tht. numher
of inig-alinn wdl~ in :\t'br;t,ka, for in,tance, in-
("(e.l"ed about 2':, p('rn~llt earh year. In 1960
there Wen' mort' than 2:J.nOO irrigation well" ill
Ihe Slat(', and 'e'eral hillion g;lllon~ a day was
plllnpt:d duriul:' till' irri_c:alinn sca~lIl.
E\"C1l in tht. Ea~1 peopk arl' now min.g morr
ground \~-atl" than tilt'\" UIlLe did. t.akin.c: ad".1fl-
tage of ground watrr\ ~pccial proprrti(";>. The
ah"ellce of 'edimcnl ;lIld hartnia alld Ihc ron-
stanry of if.; tClIlpl'ralure make ground waIn
mort' de<.irahte Ihan surface walt'r fur man\ u-;es.
I ndu~trial U'l' of ground water i" growing all OHr
thl~ countr... hur ~p('ciall~ in the Suuth and \\'c~1.

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0\(''(.111 ,ground-water use more than doubled
from 1945 10 1960.
Tht' u<.e of ground watcr for public supplies
amounted 10 6.3 billion galluns a da y in 1960.
It wa~ grcale;.t in California. Texa... and Florida.
In 1960 there were 10 States cach of which
pumped a billion g'allon~ a day or more for all
USC-". California. Tcxa~. and ..\riwnil t1"Cd far
more than:l billion a da\' 11.0,9.1. and 3.2 bgd,
rc..~pc{\i\'dy).
In the pa"t, thi.; hea'~ gTound-w:ltcr dc,'elop-
ment ha~ takt'n place "ith relali\'ely linle public
rcg-ulatiull. \\'att'r ur\'f'lopmt'nt was felt 10 be
!HTl'S.."::tr; for ccollomil' bCI1l'fit~, and in any C3.4".
w:lter ril:'ht... in Slales thaI followed the common
law inhibited kgal re;<,trinion of dew1opm("llt.
.-\ccording to cOl1lmon Ltw. rig-hIS to ground
water arl' ha...cd on owne......hip of the land. How-
('\-cr. in Ihc arid Statc~ whl>rl' wain is in "hort
supph'. tlwre ha.; hecn inrrca."ing recognition of

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NOle Area 01 c.rCle mdlcales ...ate' use

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2S million gallons per day
150 mIllion gallons
per day

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1.000 million gallOfls
pt', day

F1Gl'RE IS-Tolall.lu of ground :("ala in/hi' l"nit(d Starn, 1960.

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