Final answer:
Groundwater is governed by the doctrine of absolute ownership, allowing landowners to use the water beneath their property, with considerations for sustainable management due to potential depletion risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
Groundwater is governed by the doctrine of absolute ownership, which grants landowners the right to capture the water beneath their property. This principle allows property owners to extract groundwater and use it for their own purposes, often for drinking or irrigation. However, this doctrine can lead to conflicts and challenges, particularly when the aquifers are being depleted faster than they are being replenished, potentially affecting the water supply for other users. With groundwater being a significant subsurface reservoir of fresh water, it is crucial to manage this resource sustainably to avoid overexploitation and ensure that it remains available for future generations.
It should be noted that water laws can vary significantly by jurisdiction, and while the doctrine of absolute ownership may apply in certain areas, others may use different systems such as reasonable use or correlative rights to govern groundwater use.