 The study assesses the impact of climate and human factors on total water storage, TWS, variability in 14 major aquifers in the United States using gray satellite data, drought severity, and irrigation water use. Results show that long-term TWS trends are dominated by inter-annual variability in most aquifers, with depletion in semi-arid regions driven by droughts and switching to groundwater irrigation. The study highlights the importance of sustainable groundwater management through conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater, efficient irrigation practices, and managed aquifer recharge for future water development. This article was authored by Bridget Uskanlin, Ashraf Rehtab, Donald Appall, and others.