A recent study published in Hydrological Processes has found that groundwater levels are declining significantly in nearly 40% of thousands of wells analyzed across Nevada. The research highlights growing risks to groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), such as springs, wetlands, and riparian habitats, which are important for rare plants and wildlife.
Groundwater is the largest source of freshwater globally and is especially crucial in arid regions like Nevada where surface water resources are limited. The study warns that these ecosystems face increasing stress from both excessive groundwater withdrawals and climate factors.
“Our research shows that groundwater-dependent ecosystems in Nevada are already facing multiple, compounding stressors like excessive groundwater withdrawals and climate,” said Laurel Saito, Water Strategy Director for The Nature Conservancy in Nevada and lead author of the study. “This highlights the urgency of advancing science-based solutions to protect these ecosystems.”
Dan McEvoy, co-author of the study and researcher at the Desert Research Institute, stated: “Based on our findings of more frequent and intense droughts projected across the state in the coming years, we expect threats to groundwater-dependent ecosystems to intensify, putting even greater pressure on these vulnerable ecosystems.”
Melissa M. Rohde, PhD, Principal at Rohde Environmental Consulting, LLC, also contributed to the paper. She said: “Groundwater plays a critical role in supporting habitats, biodiversity, and climate regulation, yet it’s rarely managed with environmental needs in mind. Without stronger policies and collaborative management, natural areas that rely on groundwater risk drying and degrading.”
The authors recommend several strategies for addressing these challenges not only in Nevada but also in other arid regions worldwide. These include increasing understanding of GDE benefits; expanding monitoring efforts; enacting policies to reduce current excessive withdrawals; preventing future negative impacts from new withdrawals; including protection requirements for GDEs in land use regulations; considering GDEs during permitting processes; accelerating restoration projects; fostering collaboration through public-private partnerships; and raising awareness about the importance of protecting these systems.