It hasn’t been a dramatic drop — on average, the city's land surface moved 1 to 2 millimeters lower each year.
But parts of the city sank nearly 6 millimeters per year between 2015 and 2021. The most dramatic sinking happened on the city’s east side, lining up very closely with the edges of the Garber-Wellington Aquifer.
Twenty-five of the nation’s 28 largest cities are sinking, according to a new study in the research journal Nature Cities this month. The authors attribute much of it to the extraction of groundwater.
Over time, the sinking can increase flooding risks and harm infrastructure, although based on land distortion and building density, the study rates the risk to OKC’s infrastructure as relatively low.
The researchers hope communities will apply the new data to assess risks, develop land use plans and improve infrastructure resilience.
