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Podcast: waterloop
Episode: How Science Saved Houston From Sinking
Description: Decades of overpumping groundwater around Houston caused the land to sink by as much as 15 feet, forcing neighborhoods to flood and entire communities to relocate. This episode explores how land subsidence developed, and how science, regulation, and infrastructure are now stopping the ground from sinking.Chrissy Butcher of Baytown Nature Center and Jason Ramage of the U.S. Geological Survey explain how groundwater extraction triggered massive subsidence and how the problem was first discovered through local surveys and monitoring data. Mike Turco of the Harris Galveston Subsidence District details how regulations now limit...