Demand for water has increased awareness towards use of artificial recharge to augment groundwater supplies. Artificial recharge is a process by which excess surface water is directed into the ground to replenish an aquifer. When water is proactively returned to the ground and put into storage, it helps to ensure a sustainable groundwater supply.
Groundwater is an important source of water in the Visalia area, and the City of Visalia is committed to protecting the groundwater quality and to ensuring that groundwater is available to the community now and for the future.
Visalia's annual precipitation is one of the methods of groundwater recharge.
Flood irrigation of surface water applied to surrounding farmlands is also a vital source of groundwater recharge. As agricultural land is converted to urban use, total water consumption within the region actually drops, but the recharge impact of deep percolation from flood irrigation is lost. Identifying sites for additional groundwater recharge is essential to keeping our water supplies balanced.