RECHARGE

What is recharge?

Deep drainage or deep percolation.

Addition of surface water to zone of
saturation.
Can be natural as part of the hydrologic
cycle known as natural recharge.
Can be artificial by altering natural
conditions.

Where and when does it

occur?

What is its importance and

relevance?

Sustainable groundwater management

(relationship of volume-rate).
Reduces surface runoff.
Excess salts that accumulate in the root
zone to deeper soil layers.

Two Types of Recharge

Natural Recharge
Natural movement from precipitates

Artificial Recharge

Flooding
Injection wells
Induced recharge from bodies of water

Flooding
This method is suitable for relatively flat
region where water can be spread as a thin
layer. Water is distributed over the region
using a distribution system. This method
can achieve higher rate of infiltration in a
region having thin vegetation cover or sand
soil cover.

Injection Wells
Recharge wells are used to recharge water
directly to the aquifer. These are similar to
pumping wells and requires a water supply
system.

Induced Recharge from Bodies of Water

It is an indirect method of artificial

recharge. In this method water is pumped
from the aquifer hydraulically connected to
the surface water sources like stream, river
or lake. Due to pumping, a reverse gradient
is formed and water from the surface water
source enters into the aquifer and thus the
aquifer is recharged .

Induced Recharge from Bodies of Water

Estimation of Recharge

Groundwater level water fluctuation

method

Groundwater Level Fluctuation

Method

Groundwater level fluctuations over a period is

used.
Calculations are based on the WBE.
To acquire total annual recharge, both monsoon
months and non-monsoon months records are
then taken and added.
The specific yield for various hydro-geologic
conditions in a country is estimated.

Groundwater Level Fluctuation

Method

Where:
= Specific Yield
= Gross recharge due to rainfall and other sources
= Gross water draft
B = Base flow into the stream from the area
= Recharge from the stream into the groundwater body
I = Net ground flow of water into the area across the
boundary

Groundwater Resource

Measures the annual groundwater

resource which is available for irrigation,
domestic and industrial uses.
Depends on inflows and outflows.
Expressed in WBE.

Groundwater Resource

Where:
= all forms of recharge such as precipitation, infiltration
from lakes, streams and canals; and artificial recharge
in the basin.
net discharge of groundwater from the basin and
includes pumping, surface outflows, seepage into lakes
and rivers and evapotranspiration.
= change in the groundwater storage over a time.