Pearl Taylor: What happens if everyone drills deeper wells?

If our domestic wells are going dry because the water table is getting lower due to deeper wells being drilled, what happens if we all put in deep wells?

If we all drill wells 400 to 600 feet, the ground will sink and all of the trees that depend on water will die for lack of surface water. I see the neighbors getting irrigation water, lots of water, as if there is no shortage. They should get half the amount in this drought as they normally get. The water in the river runs to the ocean. Can’t the people who want to save the fish get permits and take the fish out of state where there is plenty of water in lakes or rivers? When we get heavy rains, they can bring them back. Right now, we need every gallon to survive.

How long is a fish’s life compared to a tree’s? We need our trees to keep us cool. Without trees we will use more electricity to keep cool. That will take more water to make electricity. So there goes our precious water. Will the golf courses turn brown, or will they have deep wells to keep their luscious lawns green while our lawns turn brown?

This story was originally published May 18, 2015 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Pearl Taylor: What happens if everyone drills deeper wells?."