• Vast and Deep: The Jordan Aquifer is a major bedrock aquifer underlying most of Iowa and extending into several other Midwestern states. In Iowa, it can be found between 1,000 to 3,000 feet below the surface.
• Ancient Water: The water within the Jordan Aquifer is very old, with some estimates placing it between 70,000 to nearly 180,000 years old. This means it’s essentially a non-renewable resource on human timescales.
• Reliable Source: Despite its age, it’s considered a dependable source of water for many communities and industries in Iowa due to its large storage capacity.
• Naturally Filtered: Because it’s located so deep underground and has been there for millennia, the water in the Jordan Aquifer is generally free from pollutants introduced by human activities at the surface.
• Increasing Demand: Withdrawals from the Jordan Aquifer have significantly increased in recent decades, partly due to the growth of industries like ethanol production and increasing municipal populations.
• Regional Importance: It’s not just important for Iowa; the Jordan Aquifer also supplies water to parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
• Variable Depth: The depth to the Jordan Aquifer varies across Iowa. It’s relatively shallow in northeast Iowa, but becomes much deeper towards the southwest part of the state.