This paper investigates the hydraulic issues of pumping well optimization in saltwater-intruded coastal aquifers. The well field includes freshwater outflow, pumping wells, and a recharge canal. The objective is to maximize the total pumping rate subject to the constraint of no intrusion of the saltwater front into the wells. Analytical solutions are presented for one-well, two-well, and one-well-with-recharge-canal problems. For problems involving multiple pumping wells, a structured messy genetic algorithm is used to search for the optimal solution. ¿ 2000 American Geophysical Union