Innovative Techniques for Recharging Groundwater Basins

As groundwater elevations continue to drop throughout the arid West, certain farming regions are turning to innovative strategies to recharge critically overdrafted aquifers. In some areas of the Kings Sub-basin in Fresno County, a groundwater recharge strategy is being explored to take advantage of vast expanses of active agricultural land. Through a collaborative venture, a project is being constructed that is expected to reduce overdraft by thousands of acre-feet annually. The project will seasonally inundate farmland during wet years for the purpose of recharging the aquifer. Throughout the region several more projects are being designed to integrate benefits for water supply, water quality and wetland enhancement.