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~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Artificial Recharge of Ground Water in Colorado A Statewide Assessment California The AR of ground water in California dates back to the late 1800s (Calif. Depl. of Water Resources, 2003). Recharge of alluvial aquifers with storm water runoff through use of spreading basins began in the early 1900s, and was a widespread practice by the 1930s (Weeks, 2002). The original California Water Plan, completed by the Department of Water Resources in 1957, contained provisions for importation of water from northern California and storage in the southern California subsurface through AR. Central Coast Hvdrolof!ic Ref!ion Although several large aquifer recharge projects have been implemented as water supply projects, many smaller projects were implemented to mitigate saltwater intrusion and land subsidence. Several reservoirs including Hernandez, Twitchell, Lake San Antonio, and Lake Nacimiento are operated primarily for the purpose of ground water recharge. South Coast Hvdrolof!ic Ref!ion At present, approximately 2 million acre-feet (ac-ft) per year of potable water used in Southern California are imported from the Colorado River and from sources in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains and Northern California. Though reservoirs are the primary storage mechanism, management objectives include recharge of ground-water basins from the outflow of some reservoirs to maintain streamflow over a longer period of time and thus provide for increased recharge of ground water through streambed infiltration. Recharge is also used to maintain seawater intrusion barriers along the Los Angeles and Orange County sections of the coastal plain. Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region (Southern Central Valley) The cities of Fresno, Bakersfield and Visalia have ground-water recharge programs to ensure that ground water will continue to be a viable water supply in the future. Extensive ground-water recharge programs are also in place in the south valley, especially Kern County, where water districts have recharged several million acre-feet since the early 1950s for future use and transfer through water-banking programs (Balch and Jans, 1957). South Lahontan Hydrologic Region (Owens Valley and Mojave Desert) Conjunctive use of surface water and ground water is practiced in the more heavily pumped basins. Some of the water imported from Northern California by the State Water Project is used to recharge ground water in the Mojave River Valley basins. Colorado River Hydrologic Region Conjunctive use of surface water and ground water is a long-standing practice in the region. The concept of utilizing ground-water basins in this sparsely populated region for storing water that is available during periods of drought is getting much attention. By example, the Hayfield Ground Water Storage Project, consisting of390 acres of spreading basins and 40 extraction wells, will eventually store 800,000 acre-feet of Colorado River Aqueduct water and will yield 150,000 acre-feet annually. 31