What Is incidental groundwater recharge?
Water in unlined canals seeps into the ground and into the shallow aquifer. It flows horizontally through the shallow aquifer and emerges in the wetlands and river about three months later.
In Teton Valley, we can make use of the process of incidental groundwater recharge to increase summer streamflow. Farmers can divert water into their unlined canals beginning in April before they start using the water for irrigation. This water then seeps into the ground, flows through the shallow aquifer and emerges in the wetlands and the Teton River later in the summer when flows are needed most. Increasing incidental groundwater recharge can be utilized to effectively change the timing of when water is available in Teton Valley.
Cover photo courtesy of Kestrel Aerial