Final answer:
The consequences of Groundwater Depletion and Lowered Water Table include decreased water availability, the need for deeper wells, increased costs, risk of saline intrusion, land subsidence, and sinkholes. Adding water to recharge areas can increase groundwater, while continuous removal exacerbates these issues and can affect connected surface water bodies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The consequences of Groundwater Depletion and Lowered Water Table are best described by option C) Decreased water availability and lowered water table. Groundwater depletion occurs when the rate of water being pumped out from aquifers exceeds the rate of replenishment. This can lead to a number of negative outcomes, such as the need for deeper wells, increased costs, the possible intrusion of saline water into freshwater zones, and the alteration of natural flows, potentially causing pollution to move towards pumping wells. Another serious effect is the potential for land subsidence and sinkholes due to a significant drop in the water table, which compromises the stability of the ground.
Adding water to a recharge area has the practical effect of increasing the amount of groundwater (A), which can help to mitigate the effects of groundwater depletion by replenishing the aquifers. However, with the continuous removal of groundwater, various problems may arise, including a drop in the water table, the formation of cones of depression around wells, and potential depletion of connected surface water bodies, such as rivers and lakes.