Refuge and Water
The water level in Devils Hole is monitored daily by the National Park Service and occasionally by the U.S. Geological Survey. During the late 1960s, the water level dropped dramatically in response to pumping in the Ash Meadows area, in the immediate vicinity of the cavern. After the cessation of pumping near Devils Hole, the water levels recovered until about 1986, when the water level began to decline. Pronounced changes in the water level resulted in response to the 1992 Landers/Little Skull Mountain earthquakes and the 1999 Hector Mine earthquake. Since December 2005, the water level in Devils Hole has been rising and, by December 2008 the water level had risen to its highest level since 1993. That the water level has risen in spite of the fact that water use has increased in the region suggests that climate and other factors may have a greater impact on the water level in Devils Hole than groundwater pumping.
Read more about this topic: Devil's Hole Pupfish
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