Did You Know Under Enoch, Utah There is a Lake?
Aquifer are Large Bodies of Water in the Ground
Even though much of Utah looks dry and barren, there is water in the rocks underneath. This water can be accessed through drilling wells and pumping it out. Iron County has a large aquifer running through it.
This water can be used, but it can also be overused. In 2009, Enoch found cracks in roadbeds and realized the aquifer underneath was collapsing because the water had been taken out and the pressure was less causing something called land subsidence, where the ground sinks in.
Iron County Leading the Way to Recharge Ground Water
Since that time, local officials have been working to recharge these underground sources of water. They have done this by diverting excess water into a quarry and other indentions in the earth that allows that water to seep into the ground and recharge the aquifer.
With the success in Iron County, other parts of the state are doing the same thing. With the last couple of years being unusually wet, they have been able to recharge and bring ground water back to healthy levels. Quichapa Lake is part of this plan to recharge the aquifer.
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The state keeps a close eye on water levels underground so not too much is removed. It is important to keep this underground water resource healthy. Once the earth collapses, there is no longer anywhere for the water to seep into.
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