A record of hydraulic head, or rate of flow (discharge), versus time is more generally called a hydrograph (in both groundwater and surface water).
Groundwater environments often have high biodiversity, however, drawdown alters the amount and types of nutrients released to surrounding organisms.
[16] Extracting groundwater at a rate that is faster than it can be naturally replenished is often referred to as overdrafting.
Overdrafting may decrease the amount of groundwater that naturally feeds surrounding water bodies, including wetlands, lakes, rivers and streams.
Finally, drawdown from groundwater extraction may lead to an increased sensitivity of the ecosystem to climate change and may be a contributing factor to sea-level rise and land subsidence.