Upward flow from shallow water tables was studied by application of the flow theory; this leads to a differential equation which describes the interrelationship between the soil properties, the water table depth, the pressure head at the soil surface, and the rate of upward flow. The solution to the equation predicts that for a given soil and water table depth, the upward flux should increase and approach a finite limit as the pressure head at the soil surface becomes more negative. In one series of experiments, upward flow was induced by suction from the soil surface. For a given water table depth, the measured pressure head and hydraulic head distribution and the rate of upward flow as a function of the pressure head at the soil surface were in agreement with flow theory.