New study reveals alarming groundwater declines threatening Nevada’s ecosystems

Groundwater in Nevada is under growing threat, with nearly 40% of thousands of wells analyzed across the state showing significantly declining water levels, according to a scientific paper recently published in the Hydrological Processes. The study warns of mounting risks to groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) like springs, wetlands and riparian habitats that sustain rare plants and wildlife, but also offers science-based strategies to protect and restore these vital systems amid intensifying drought and rising water demand.

Groundwater is the largest source of freshwater on Earth and is increasingly vital for both human and ecological needs, especially in arid regions like Nevada, where surface water is scarce.

“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.”

“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,” said Dan McEvoy, co-author of the study and researcher at the Desert Research Institute.

“Groundwater plays a critical role in supporting habitats, biodiversity, and climate regulation, yet it’s rarely managed with environmental needs in mind,” said Melissa M. Rohde, PhD, Principal at Rohde Environmental Consulting, LLC, and a co-author of the paper. “Without stronger policies and collaborative management, natural areas that rely on groundwater risk drying and degrading.”

To address these challenges, the paper offers the following strategies, not only for Nevada, but for arid regions worldwide facing similar pressures:

1. Increase understanding of co-benefits of healthy and restored GDEs.

2. Increase monitoring and reporting over space and time.

3. Enact policies to reduce current excessive groundwater withdrawals and over-             appropriation to protect GDEs.

4. Enact policies to prevent future groundwater withdrawals that would negatively          affect GDEs.

5. Include requirements for maintaining or protecting GDEs in regulations, codes, and     laws for land and water management and economic development.

6. Include consideration of GDEs in permitting, guidance, and large-scale planning            documents to identify and prioritize areas for protection and management of GDEs

7. Increase the pace and scale of restoration of GDEs in time and space

8. Incorporate collaboration, including public-private partnerships, to manage and           sustain GDEs.

9. Increase awareness of the value of GDEs and the need to protect and reduce impacts to them.

10. Increase communication among water users, administrators, managers, and               academics about GDEs.

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