Caroline County, VA Water Table Trend
Is the water table dropping in Caroline County, VA?
Caroline County's long-term well puts the trend at 1.4 ft per decade, declining at a typical pace for a declining county, based on 145 measurements since 1971.
One well stands in for Caroline County's whole aquifer here, the honest simplification every page on this site carries.
What the well actually measured
The most recent reading put water 193.3 ft below land surface. Readings span 1971-12-16 to 2026-04-20, 145 measurements from USGS well USGS-380415077194101 (52n 6), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Caroline County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Caroline County ranks 1126th from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 33,477 people live in Caroline County, Virginia. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Caroline County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Caroline County's water table is actually declining, not just a general worry, a well owner here should consider comparing home-warranty plans that cover well-pump failure before one happens.
A dropping table says nothing about water quality
Whether Caroline County's water table is rising or falling is independent of what's actually in the water. Depletion can concentrate naturally-occurring minerals, so it's worth checking directly with a water test rather than assuming a depth trend says anything about quality.