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Executive Summary <br />This is the final summary report for the High Plains States Groundwater Demonstration <br />Program. This program consisted of 14 recharge demonstration projects and specialized <br />investigations of groundwater recharge activities in the 17 Western States. The program <br />was undertaken to obtain information from applied groundwater recharge demonstration <br />projects to evaluate the potential role of recharge technology under a variety of physical, <br />economic, and institutional circumstances. This report summarizes the program activities <br />which emphasized practical experience to identify and evaluate factors that can influence <br />the effective use of groundwater recharge in water resource planning. <br />The High Plains States Groundwater Demonstration Program Act of 1983 (Public Law <br />[P.L.] 98 -434) established the program, with subsequent amendments by the Reclamation <br />Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 (P.L. 102 -575). The authorizing <br />legislation designated the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) as the lead agency to <br />administer and coordinate program activities. The program was initiated in 1983, and the <br />final stages of the demonstration projects were concluded in, 1999. <br />Program Description <br />Declining groundwater levels and deteriorating water quality in aquifers throughout the <br />Western United States have reduced available water supplies while competing demands <br />for scarce water resources continue to rise. Population growth, shifts in water use, and <br />historical patterns of groundwater withdrawal exceeding natural recharge have led to <br />widespread concern regarding the potential depletion of groundwater resources. <br />The High Plains States Groundwater Demonstration Program was initiated to evaluate the <br />potential for recharge of the High Plains Aquifer as one of the most extensive and widely <br />used groundwater sources in the United States. The program legislation was ultimately <br />modified to consider recharge projects in the 17 Western States. <br />In the program, Reclamation worked cooperatively with water management organizations, <br />the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and <br />other agencies and interest groups to construct recharge demonstration projects using <br />available water resources for recharge to alleviate identified water supply problems and <br />advance the understanding of recharge applications. <br />Reclamation also supported independent investigations by Western States Water Council <br />(WSWC) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). These investigations evaluated <br />technical and institutional issues, such as economic, legal, and regulatory considerations, <br />that could influence future planning to implement artificial groundwater recharge and the <br />appropriate role of recharge for improved water resources management. <br />Executive Summary E1 <br />