News Earth

Even epic rainfall may not be enough to refill SoCal’s aquifers

After decades of drought, recent storms added only 25 percent of the water lost since 2006

illustrated map of atmospheric river over California in 2023

Despite more than a dozen atmospheric rivers pummeling California with epic rainfall early in 2023, drought-ravaged aquifers there still didn’t get fully recharged. Water vapor for one of those atmospheric rivers is depicted in shades of teal.

NASA

By Sid Perkins

Even though immense rains repeatedly pummeled California in 2023, they barely helped recharge aquifers drawn down by decades of drought and human pumping, a new study reveals.