Snowfall Replenishes Groundwater Loss in the Great Basin of the Western United States, but Cannot Compensate for Increasing Aridification

Abstract

There has been an acceleration of groundwater loss in the Great Basin (GB) of the western U.S. as determined from total water storage (TWS) measurements from the GRACE/FO satellite missions. From 2002 to 2023, there was a loss of TWS in the GB of ∼68.7 km3 which is more than six times the current volume of the Lake Mead Reservoir. In this arid/semi-arid region, groundwater is the primary factor contributing to the decade-scale decline in TWS. Stronger declining trends are found in the western versus the eastern GB. Snow loading is the major cause of seasonal fluctuations of TWS in the GB. Despite annual replenishment of groundwater by snow, the downward trend persists even in notable snow years. Likely causes include declining snow mass, upstream water diversions and increased evaporation/sublimation due to increasing temperatures. Dire consequences for humans and wildlife are associated with this large loss of groundwater.