The water table rises and falls according to the season of the year and the amount of precipitation. A water-bearing soil or rock formation that is capable of yielding usable amounts of water is called an aquifer . Some aquifers are confined by layers of soil or rock which do not allow water to flow freely. These are referred to as confined or artesian aquifers. Aquifers that are not confined are commonly known as water table aquifers .
Aquifers represent major fresh water resources throughout the country.
They may cover only a few miles in overall area or they may extend over hundreds of square miles. In Georgia, the four major aquifers are the Floridan, Claiborne, Clayton and Cretaceous. The Floridan aquifer is made of confined limestone, dolostone and calcareous sand. The Claiborne and Clayton aquifers consist of confined sand and limestone. They are the major sources of water for southwestern Georgia.