The tenth anniversary of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) last year put a spotlight on the challenges of implementing this landmark legislation. Agencies in both the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys scaled up efforts to replenish aquifers in recent years, but they still need ways to better harness the water received in wet years. Spreading water on privately owned land so it can penetrate the soil and refill below-ground aquifers — a process known as groundwater recharge — is one way to make the most of surplus water when it’s available. This can include methods such as spreading water on farmland or on land that’s set aside solely for recharge. Landowners may recharge using their own water and land, an irrigation district’s water on their private land, or their own water on an irrigation district’s land.

Other California water supply news:

• Berkeleyside (Calif.): Berkeley’s wet season is winding down. Did we get enough rain?
• The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.): Feasibility study launched to upgrade Coyote Valley Dam at Lake Mendocino