Flood-MAR Projects

Groundwater recharge project at Ball Ranch in Madera County, California (DWR, 2023)

Project Map
Host Organization
  • Sustainable Conservation
  • Department of Water Resources
Topic Area:
  • Crop System Suitability
  • Infrastructure Conveyance and Hydraulics
  • Recharge and Extraction Methods and Measurement
  • Soils, Geology, and Aquifer Characterization
  • Water Quality

These two case studies – one on an almond orchard and the other on a wine grape vineyard – show how one grower adapts to different conditions and crops to achieve his recharge goals.

The almond case study site is a great example of how on-farm recharge on young almond trees during the first years of production on suitable soils can be implemented without affecting yield and crop health.

The vineyard case study site provided the opportunity to test on-farm recharge on wine grapes planted in moderately poor soil. It also demonstrated the feasibility of applying recharge water during the wine grapes growing season, thereby increasing the total possible volume of annual on-farm recharge when excess surface water is not available until springtime, as occurred in 2017 and 2023.

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