Satellite data reveals that some areas in Arizona’s Willcox Basin are sinking more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) per year — the fastest rate of subsidence in the state.
This sinking is the result of intensive groundwater extraction to support agriculture in the region, which lowers the water table in the basin, taking the land surface down with it. Past research has shown that since the mid-20th century, parts of the basin have sunk by up to 12 feet (3.6 meters).
