Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2013CA307B

Enhancing Groundwater Recharge through Distributed Stormwater Capture

Institute: California
Year Established: 2013 Start Date: 2013-03-01 End Date: 2014-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $10,469 Total Non-Federal Funds: $4,370

Principal Investigators: Andrew Fisher

Project Summary: California is increasingly dependent on groundwater supplies, but aquifers across the state are chronically overdrafted. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a strategy for enhancing groundwater storage, but supplies of high-quality surface water that can be used for MAR are often limited. Stormwater runoff can be used for MAR, but there are numerous questions about how to manage this water most efficiently and effectively. There are also gaining access to appropriate drainage and infiltration sites where MAR can be developed. We propose to develop and monitor sites where stormwater runoff can be captured and infiltrated, and to assess the efficacy of this approach in the context of regional groundwater resource management.