Out of sight, under our feet, groundwater (see video What is Groundwater here) is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives. Groundwater fills spaces between sand, gravel and clay in water-bearing formations called aquifers. It is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere. Our drinking water and sanitation, our food supply and natural environment–all these rely on groundwater.
Groundwater is being over-used in many areas,where more water is abstracted from aquifers than is recharged by rain and snow. Continuous over-use leads eventually to depletion of the resource. According to the Water Education Foundation, 30% of California’s total annual water supply comes from groundwater, and up to 60% in drought years. Want to learn more about California’s groundwater? Click here.
Groundwater is polluted in many areas and remediation is often a long and difficult process. What we do on the surface matters underground. We must only put harmless, biodegradable products on the soil and use water as efficiently as possible.
Groundwater will play a critical role in adapting to climate change, especially drought. We must protect and explore groundwater, balancing the needs of the people and the planet. We need to work together to sustainably manage this precious resource.
Learn more about it (in a fun way) here and share, act and make it fun!
Shoot your 60 second groundwater story and share it.
What do you know about the groundwater in the Los Altos area?
Do you have a well?
How has drought affected the groundwater levels where you live?
Is a spring a groundwater? (Video tip: I’ve seen a couple on the trails at Hidden Villa)
What ideas do you have to protect it locally?
What simple ways can you do to preserve it?
Upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo with hashtags #MyGroundwaterStory #WorldWaterDay #GreenTownLosAltos or simply share what you know in the comment section below.
Find out more at www.worldwaterday.org.
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