Central Arizona Water Conservation District Recharge Program

In 1996, Central Arizona Project began recharging water in an effort to increase the reliability of long-term water supplies. Recharge is a long-established and effective water management tool that allows renewable surface water supplies, such as the Colorado River, to be stored underground for recovery during periods of reduced water supply.

The recharging process involves systematically watering a site and allowing water to percolate down through the soil, replenishing underground aquifers. This “recharged” water may then be pumped out and used at a later date.

Artificial recharge is a water management tool commonly used to:

• store excess surface water for future uses
• replenish groundwater supplies
• prevent or mitigate saltwater intrusion
• improve water quality through natural filtration in the vadose (unsaturated) zone below the surface
• prevent land subsidence

CAP currently operates six recharge projects which can store more than 300,000 acre-feet of surplus water underground per year. These sites are an important component of operations and will provide Arizonans with a water supply they can rely on for years to come.

• Operations began: January 2006
• Construction cost: $13 million
• Infiltration rates: 4-5 feet per day
• Number of basins: 19
• Basin infiltration area: 207 acres
• Turn-out type: Gravity turnout 300 cubic feet per second
• Annual permitted volume: 150,000 acre-feet

• Operations began: January 2003
• Construction cost: $5.7 million
• Infiltration rates: 3 feet per day
• Number of basins: 7
• Basin infiltration area: 38 acres
• Turn-out Type: Pump 100 cubic feet per second
• Annual permitted volume: 35,000 acre-feet

• Operations began: May 2002
• Construction cost: $10.5 million
• Infiltration rates: 2-4 feet per day
• Number of basins: 7
• Basin infiltration area: 38 acres
• Turn-out Type: Gravity 350 cubic feet per second; operated at 150-175 cubic feet per second
• Annual permitted volume: 30,000 acre-feet

• Operations began: June 2011
• Construction cost: $10 million
• Infiltration rates: 5-6 feet per day
• Number of basins: 2
• Basin infiltration area: 38 acres
• Turn-out Type: Pump 150 cubic feet per second
• Annual permitted volume: 56,500 acre-feet

• Operations began: June 2000
• Construction cost: $3.9 million
• Infiltration rates: 2.5 feet per day
• Number of basins: 3
• Basin infiltration area: 38 acres
• Turn-out Type: Pump 65 cubic feet per second
• Annual permitted volume: 50,000 acre-feet

• Operations began: December 2001 (Full scale)
• Construction cost: $11 million
• Infiltration rates: 1.9 to 5.8 feet per day
• Number of basins: 5
• Basin infiltration area: 23 acres
• Turn-out Type: Gravity 90 cubic feet per second
• Annual permitted volume: 30,000 acre-feet

Return to CAP's Recharge Program web pages at  https://www.cap-az.com/departments/recharge-program .