Principal Aquifers
North AmericaPhysical EnvironmentLocations of various aquifers in North America, including consolidated rock aquifers, which are made up of mostly volcanic rocks in the Northwest and mostly sandstone and limestone elsewhere; combination aquifers, which are sand and gravel aquifers overlying productive rock aquifers; and productive aquifers, which have a 0.4 liter/second potential
Geosystems: Intro to Physical Geography
A map highlights the principal aquifers across North America, categorized into three types.
Consolidated rock aquifers, shaded in green, are predominantly found in northern Canada, including regions like Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, and extending into parts of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Also found in the northern Canada regions like Victoria Island, Parry Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and Ellesmere Island, also extending to Southern regions like Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Halifax. Combination aquifers, shaded in orange, are primarily located in the central and eastern United States, covering areas in states like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, and extending to parts of the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Productive aquifers, also shaded in light green, are found in regions of Florida and across the western United States near Oregon.
Consolidated rock aquifers | Combination aquifers | Productive aquifers | Value | ALASKA BOREAL INTERIOR | ALASKA TUNDRA | ARCTIC CORDILLERA | ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS | BOREAL CORDILLERA | BOREAL PLAIN | BROOKS RANGE TUNDRA | CENTRAL USA PLAINS | COLD DESERTS | EVERGLADES | HUDSON PLAIN | MARINE WEST COAST FOREST | MEDITERRANEAN CALIFORNIA | MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL AND SOUTHEAST USA COASTAL PLAINS | MIXED WOOD PLAINS | MIXED WOOD SHIELD | NORTHERN ARCTIC | OZARK/OUACHITA-APPALACHIAN FORESTS | SOFTWOOD SHIELD | SOUTH CENTRAL SEMIARID PRAIRIES | SOUTHEASTERN USA PLAINS | SOUTHERN ARCTIC | TAIGA CORDILLERA | TAIGA PLAIN | TAIGA SHIELD | TEMPERATE PRAIRIES | TEXAS-LOUISIANA COASTAL PLAIN | UPPER GILA MOUNTAINS | WARM DESERTS | WEST-CENTRAL SEMIARID PRAIRIES | WESTERN CORDILLERA | WESTERN SIERRA MADRE PIEDMONT | No data | Arid and low water use | Low (<10%) | Low-medium (10-20%) | Medium-high (20-40%) | High (40-80%) | Extremely high (>80%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.0% | 4.45% | 18.1% | 2 | 8 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1.3333333333333333 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1.3333333333333333 | 1 | 0.654% | 3.65% | 47.2% | 4.86% | 6.22% | 9.97% | 14.9% | ||