Water Availability in Southwest Georgia and Northeast Florida

Stretching from Mississippi to South Carolina, the Floridan Aquifer is the main source of freshwater for southwest Georgia and north Florida. It provides drinking water for approximately 10 million people, supports agriculture and tourism, and sustains the ecosystem. The aquifer’s capacity is large but limited, and meeting the area's water demands will require balancing withdrawals from the aquifer with replenishment from rainfall, a particularly difficult problem in drier times.

Martha C. Monroe, professor; and Sadie Hundemer, postdoctoral researcher; School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611