There’s a bit of confirmation bias there. Rural areas developed where there was water and didn’t where there wasn’t.
So where there is a long farming history there is generally surface or ground water, and the bits that ended up in national parks/reserves it’s either deeper or not there.
Roobar76 t1_j6g4tb9 wrote
Reply to comment by Saint_D420 in Eli5....can you dig a well anywhere and hit water...and how did the early ranchers in the West know where to dig for water. Especially in the really dry areas? by pinkshrinkrn
There’s a bit of confirmation bias there. Rural areas developed where there was water and didn’t where there wasn’t. So where there is a long farming history there is generally surface or ground water, and the bits that ended up in national parks/reserves it’s either deeper or not there.