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How can pumping too much groundwater for irrigation lower the water table?

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Large wheeled irrigation sprinkler sprays water over green crops in a field, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background. — Irrigation Specialized irrigation equipment watering crops in a field.

Pumping excessive amounts of groundwater for irrigation lowers the water table because the rate of withdrawal exceeds the natural process of groundwater recharge.12

Groundwater is stored in aquifers, which are replenished slowly by drainage through the soil. When irrigation demands require pumping water from these underground reservoirs faster than precipitation or surface water can replenish them, the level of the saturated zone—the water table—inevitably declines. This practice, often referred to as groundwater mining, is particularly problematic in regions where aquifers no longer receive significant recharge under current climatic conditions.1324

The resulting depletion of the water table has several serious consequences:
* Increased Costs: As the water level drops, it becomes more expensive to pump water to the surface.13
* Resource Loss: Wells and rivers may dry up entirely.13
* Environmental Damage: In coastal areas, a lowered water table can lead to the intrusion of saline water into the aquifer.13
* Land Subsidence: In some regions, the removal of large volumes of groundwater causes the ground to sink.4