Through this guide, California almond growers can begin evaluating their options for addressing local sub-basin overdraft through recharge, helping secure reliable, sufficient, and drought resilient groundwater supplies. In areas where soil conditions are suitable and excess water is available, ground water recharge represents one of the most cost-effective methods to increase storage, thereby ensuring water supply and improving water quality.

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) prepared this white paper to explore opportunities to use flood water for managed aquifer recharge (Flood-MAR) because DWR recognizes the need to rehabilitate and modernize water and flood infrastructure in California.

Following the wet winter of 2016-17, UC Water and GRA of CA convened a Recharge Roundtable Workshop to identify key actions needed to significantly increase recharge to California groundwater systems during the next five years. This document summarizes results of the workshop and of numerous follow-up discussions, foreshadowing issues an problems that challenge recharge efforts to to this day. The document describes and summarizes six essential questions/challenges.