Every well is different. Two wells right next to one another may be recharging in different ways, or may be drawing water from different parts of the underlying geology. This video explores the experience of well owners in Union County, New Mexico, who are gaining an understanding of local recharge conditions (or lack of recharge) by participating in a program to measure groundwater.
Participatory data collection and knowledge sharing can help well owners better understand their own groundwater resource story and plan for the future. For example, farmers who know they won’t be able to continue cultivating traditional crops, due to groundwater depletion, can explore alternative crops and pasture systems and establish new practices while they still have access to sufficient groundwater.
