City of Willows, CAContact: Lisa Hunter
(530) 934-6540
Press Release: Groundwater Recharge in Glenn County
Local groundwater supplies are receiving a boost from over 2,000 acre-feet (650 million gallons) of water through groundwater (aquifer) recharge, which is enough to provide 2,500 local households with a year’s supply of water. Over 15 groundwater recharge projects have been implemented in Glenn County since January 2023 to capture excess surface water and infiltrate it through ponds, gravel pits, drainage ditches, and pasture. Glenn Groundwater Authority (GGA), a local groundwater sustainability agency, is leading groundwater recharge efforts to help local aquifers rebound. “This is just the beginning,” according to Glenn Groundwater Authority board chair Gary Hansen. “It’s our mission to protect local groundwater supplies, and we see groundwater recharge as critical to achieving sustainability.”
In Orland, Glenn Groundwater Authority is partnering with a local landowner and the City of Orland on two groundwater recharge sites. From August to October, the sites will recharge a combined 300 acre-feet of water from Stony Creek delivered by Orland Unit Water Users’ Association. These recharge locations are in the heart of an area that suffered hundreds of dry wells from 2020 to 2022. “Mother Nature gave us some relief this year and with Stony Creek running we’ve seen many wells recover. We wanted to supplement what Mother Nature is doing by adding more water – which would have otherwise run out to the ocean via the Sacramento River -- to the local aquifer through groundwater recharge,” says Orland Vice Mayor and GGA Board member Bruce Roundy.
From January to June, Orland-Artois Water District delivered over 1,700 acre-feet of water to more than a dozen sites for recharge. Orland-Artois Water District worked with local farmers and landowners between Artois and Orland to take advantage of the wet winter and high flows in the Sacramento River. “Our board has been interested in groundwater recharge for years, and with the wet winter we knew we had an opportunity to help raise groundwater levels for everyone,” says Orland-Artois Water District board president Mike Vereschagin. At one site, monitoring devices recorded 10 acre-feet of infiltration per acre each day. At that rate, water in a pond filled 10 feet deep would infiltrate (drain/percolate) completely in 24 hours.
Come join us on October 11, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. to see groundwater recharge in action at Lely Park located at 975 East South Street, Orland, CA 95963. Representatives from the Glenn Groundwater Authority and recharge partners will provide brief remarks and be available to answer questions.