Work is underway by the USGS to improve the understanding and the accuracy of estimates of the quantities and distribution of water moving into and through the ground-water system of the entire Middle Rio Grande Basin. New water supplies increasingly rely on conjunctive use of surface water and ground water. The dependence of sensitive ecosystems on ground water creates further competition for scarce water resources. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, and South Florida Water Management District are using information from USGS studies as they move toward restoration plans for the Everglades.
Related concerns exist about the effects of changes in ground-water discharge to coastal ecosystems.
A project to review what is known about these freshwater-saltwater issues along the Atlantic coast has recently begun. The Ground-Water Resources Program thus addresses a variety of information needs. As the program transitions from its exclusive focus on the 25RASA aquifer systems to broader issues, the above activities serve as prototypes for the possible future activities described below. Availability of an adequate supply of freshwater is a significant issue affecting continued economic growth of cities and towns in the Southwest, which also contains of the most productive agricultural lands in the United States. Environmental considerations create increasing constraints on water development.