Houston, Texas, is one of the earliest urban areas to employ Global Positioning System (GPS) technology for land subsidence and fault monitoring. As of 2020, the University of Houston and the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District have integrated over 230 permanent GPS stations into their routine GPS data processing for regional subsidence and fault monitoring. This article summarizes the GPS geodetic infrastructure in the Greater Houston region.

The Houston, Texas, USA area has experienced over 3 m of subsidence due to the development of groundwater since 1906. In 1975, Texas created the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District to regulate groundwater use to prevent subsidence. Since that time areas have been converted to alternative source waters, and subsidence rates have been reduced. Conversion continues, with the largest water infrastructure project in the USA ongoing to reduce groundwater use and prevent additional subsidence.

As the Houston, Texas, USA area changes their source waters from groundwater to alternative supplies to reduce subsidence, alternative water management strategies have been investigated to increase water supply while minimizing subsidence. A hypothetical Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project was tested for potential subsidence risk. Results show that short-term cycling to address season peaking may provide the most benefit to prevent subsidence.

Subsidence has been a primary concern in the Houston area for many years. Since 1906, over 10 feet of subsidence has occurred, with a broad area of 6 feet of subsidence existing today throughout most of the Houston Area. The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District has regulated the use of groundwater to mitigate the subsidence threat for 40 years with excellent success. Overall subsidence rates have slowed in the coastal areas as water sources have shifted away from groundwater.