Contact Us
Dedicated to the understanding and
protection of the groundwater of the
Virginia Coastal Plain.
Groundwater Bulletin Board
  • NEW! The State Water Control Board will hold public hearings on
    the Notice of Intended Regulatory Action (NOIRA) to consider
    expanding the Eastern Virginia Ground Water Management Area
    to cover the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. - click here for
    more -
  • Surprise Hill observation well project. NEW! Drilling has been
    completed and well development is underway at the site.   - more -
  • Water well data base. - more -
Overview
The groundwater of the Virginia Coastal Plain is a unique and valuable natural resource.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, more than 150 million gallons of water are pumped
every day  from the permeable sedimentary layers and lenses called aquifers, supplying nearly
one million persons. (For the amount of groundwater usage on the Virginia Coastal Plain, see
Withdrawals 2000).
The Virginia Coastal Plain (
see: map of region)  is a near level  area of approximately 13,000
square miles, bounded on the west by the Fall Line (close by Route I-95), on the north by the
Potomac River, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by the border with North
Carolina. Several large rivers, including the Rappahannock, James, and York, cross the plain
from northwest to southeast, creating a geographic feature known as the Tidewater. The
Chesapeake Bay, a long, north-south estuary, separates the peninsula of the Eastern Shore
from mainland Virginia.
Although the groundwater supply of the Virginia Coastal Plain is vast, it is not limitless.
Whereas the groundwater of the shallow surficial aquifer is replenished by precipitation falling
to the land surface, the deeper artesian aquifers are, for all practical purposes, a
non-renewable resource. Since the beginning of the 20th century, artesian water levels have
declined as much as 200 feet at some localities. Currently, water levels are falling at a rate of
1.2 to 3.0 feet per year (see
: hydrograph example at left). At this rate serious disruptions in
groundwater supply may be experienced within the next 50 years.

Last updated: June 20, 2009
WebDesk@groundwatervirginia.org
GroundwaterVirginia
Have a groundwater problem?

Contact a professional
h
ydrogeologist.
Click on image for a larger view.



AT THE INTERSECTION
OF SCIENCE AND
PUBLIC POLICY


What's New!

Note: The following files require Adobe Reader. They are rather large
and may take a few minutes to download if your internet connection is
dial-up.

** The Coming Crisis in Our Groundwater Supply **
(Revised June 2009)
This presentation describes a model of the lifetime behavior of an
artesian groundwater supply, from pre-development to exhaustion
of the resource. It illustrates how withdrawal rates, supply (i.e.,
stock), and utilization costs interact dynamically over time and how
knowledge of these interactions can shape water-supply policies.
CLICK HERE

** How Can We Protect the Groundwater Supply? **
This presentation demonstrates the vulnerability of the groundwater
supply of the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula of Virginia and
describes the basic steps that must be taken in order to protect it.
CLICK HERE
In My Opinion

  • Lurching toward trouble.
    The Virginia Coastal Plain needs a comprehensive water supply
    plan--Now!  CLICK HERE