Groundwater on Sanjiang Plain is being used up faster than it can be replenished. Researchers looked at how fast groundwater is being used up and found that the groundwater level is being affected. By studying the ideal groundwater level and how deep it is buried, they can figure out the critical level at which groundwater should not be used beyond. In some areas of Sanjiang Plain, the groundwater level is still good, but there is a lot of potential for it to be used more sustainably.