Ground Water Atlas of the United States -
Segment 1 California Nevada
Fresh Ground-Water Withdrawals
Irrigation of pastureland accounts for most ground-water use in the Eureka area,
followed by withdrawals for industry and public supply. Most of the withdrawals
for irrigation are in the coastal plain of the Eel River Valley. The cities of
Eureka and Arcata use surface water for their public supplies, whereas many of
the smaller communities use ground water. Total estimated ground-water
withdrawals during 1972 were 9,000 acre-feet in the Mad River Valley, 15,000
acre-feet in the Eureka Plain, and 10,000 acre-feet in the Eel River Valley.
This is more than double the estimated total withdrawal of 15,000 acre-feet
during 1952, but current (1995) rates of ground-water withdrawal do not appear
to be in excess of natural recharge. Therefore, no shortage of water is likely
as long as surface-water supplies remain adequate to supply municipal demands.
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<http://water.wr.usgs.gov/gwatlas/coastal/withdrawls1.html>.
For questions or comments regarding the USGS World Wide Web contact:
<Dale A. Cox>