Groundwater Recharge: A Guide for Tulare Lake Subbasin Landowners
What agricultural landowners in California's Tulare Lake Subbasin can do today to prepare for groundwater recharge opportunities tomorrow.
By Julie Martella | November 2026
Imagine it's January. We've had several weeks of significant storms in the Sierra Nevada, and water is moving through the Kings River watershed.
You hear that additional surface water may become available for groundwater recharge.
You own 80 acres of permanent crops in the Tulare Lake Subbasin. You've been following SGMA, you've attended meetings, and you understand the importance of replenishing our groundwater supplies.
You'd like to participate.
But where do you begin?
Who do you call? Can you bring water onto your property? Could your existing irrigation system be used for recharge? What approvals are required? And if you participate, will you receive groundwater credits?
What do you need to have in place today so that, if water becomes available tomorrow, you're ready to participate?
I ask these questions from two perspectives. I'm an agricultural landowner who has experienced the realities of managing a walnut orchard, and I work with groundwater sustainability agencies to help agricultural stakeholders understand the policies affecting their land.
I know how much responsibility comes with owning agricultural property. I also know that many smaller agricultural operations don't have dedicated water managers, engineers, or consultants working on their behalf.
With the possibility of a wet El Niño winter ahead, this is an important time to explore how more agricultural landowners might participate in groundwater recharge.
Because being ready begins long before the water arrives.
Why Groundwater Recharge Matters in the Tulare Lake Subbasin
Groundwater recharge is an increasingly important part of California's approach to sustainable groundwater management.
During wet periods, legally and physically available surface water can sometimes be directed onto suitable agricultural lands or into dedicated recharge facilities, allowing water to infiltrate into the aquifer.
For the Tulare Lake Subbasin, where groundwater sustainability remains a significant challenge, these opportunities matter.
Recharge can help replenish groundwater supplies, support long-term basin management, and potentially provide groundwater accounting benefits through local Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) programs.
The winter of 2026–2027 brings renewed interest because El Niño conditions may increase the possibility of wetter weather in parts of California.
An El Niño forecast, however, does not guarantee significant runoff in the Kings River watershed. Even during a wet winter, water availability for recharge depends on hydrology, water rights, conveyance capacity, and operational decisions.
But preparation is something we can control.
For smaller agricultural landowners, there are several practical steps worth taking now.
1. Start With the Water: Can You Actually Get It to Your Property?
Before considering how much water your soil can absorb, determine whether you can receive surface water in the first place.
This is where I would begin.
Check the policies of your local agencies online or contact your irrigation district, canal company, or other water supplier and ask:
Is my property eligible to receive surface water for recharge?
Could qualifying high-flow water become available this winter?
Do I have an existing turnout or delivery connection that could be used?
Would temporary infrastructure be necessary?
What costs, delivery restrictions, or operational requirements might apply?
If you don't currently receive surface water, that doesn't necessarily eliminate every possibility. But it does mean you'll need to investigate whether delivery is physically and financially feasible.
Remember, water moving through a canal is not automatically available for recharge. Your water supplier must confirm what water can be delivered and under what authority.
California has several legal pathways for groundwater recharge, including existing water rights, temporary recharge permits, and qualifying floodflow diversions under Water Code Section 1242.1.
These pathways have different requirements. In particular, the floodflow provisions apply only when specific statutory conditions are met, and they include notice, reporting, and other protections.
For smaller landowners, the practical starting point is usually understanding what arrangements an existing water supplier or local agency may have available.
Your first goal is simple: Find out whether there is a realistic pathway for water to reach your land.
2. Take a Closer Look at Your Land
Let's say your property can receive water.
The next question is whether your land is suitable for recharge. This requires looking beyond the surface. Soil texture, infiltration rates, underlying geology, groundwater conditions, and drainage all influence how effectively water can move through the soil and into the aquifer.
Agricultural operations also have to consider crop health.
For example, a walnut orchard may offer opportunities for winter recharge under suitable conditions. But prolonged saturation can create problems for tree roots. Timing, soil conditions, water application rates, and drainage are important.
Fortunately, landowners don't have to begin this investigation from scratch.
The California Department of Water Resources provides groundwater recharge information and mapping resources that can help with preliminary evaluations.
Sustainable Conservation has also developed practical resources for agricultural recharge, including crop-specific guidance for walnuts, almonds, pistachios, vineyards, and other crops.
These resources can help you begin evaluating your property before investing in improvements.
Start with a preliminary screening, then work with qualified technical advisers when site conditions or proposed activities require further evaluation.
The question is whether your property can receive and infiltrate water safely and effectively.
3. Contact Your GSA Before Beginning Recharge
This is particularly important if you're hoping to earn groundwater recharge credits.
Groundwater sustainability agencies may have specific requirements for registering recharge projects, measuring water deliveries, documenting activities, and verifying eligible credits.
For example, Mid-Kings River GSA has adopted a Private Recharge Policy outlining requirements for qualifying recharge activities.
Other GSAs within the Tulare Lake Subbasin may have different policies or procedures.
Before beginning, ask your GSA:
Does the agency have a private recharge program?
What applications, registrations, or approvals are required?
What types of recharge activities are eligible?
How must water deliveries be measured and documented?
How are recharge credits calculated and recorded?
Are there limitations on when or how credits may be used?
This conversation is especially important because physically recharging groundwater and qualifying for groundwater credits are separate matters.
Putting water into the ground does not automatically mean you'll receive credits toward your groundwater allocation.
Understanding the policy before participating can prevent costly misunderstandings.
4. What If You Don't Have a Recharge Basin?
This is a question I think more small landowners should be asking.
When people hear the term groundwater recharge, they may picture a large, specially constructed basin with extensive infrastructure. Those facilities play an important role, but they are not the only potential approach.
Depending on local conditions, water availability, and GSA policies, recharge may be possible on fallowed agricultural land or certain actively farmed fields.
This is often referred to as on-farm recharge.
There may also be opportunities to use existing field infrastructure or temporary improvements, although these require careful evaluation.
For smaller landowners, the key is determining whether a practical, affordable method exists for their particular property.
Before spending money on earthwork, piping, pumps, or measurement equipment, ask what is actually necessary and whether your proposed recharge activity would qualify under the local program.
A large capital investment may not make sense for every operation.
If your property isn't suitable, it may be worth asking whether your district or GSA offers other ways to participate in regional recharge efforts.
The important thing is to understand your options before assuming participation is out of reach.
5. Understand the Costs and Potential Benefits
Recharge is an investment decision as well as a groundwater management decision.
Even when surface water becomes available, participating may involve costs.
Those can include water delivery charges, pumping or energy expenses, field preparation, temporary infrastructure, measurement equipment, labor, and potential crop impacts.
There may also be benefits.
Depending on your GSA's policies, eligible recharge activities may generate groundwater credits that can help with future groundwater accounting.
But credit values, eligibility, expiration rules, and transfer provisions can differ between agencies.
Before making an investment, consider three questions:
What will it cost to prepare my property?
What will it cost to deliver and manage the water?
What groundwater accounting benefit, if any, could I reasonably expect?
The answers will be different for every operation.
Landowners can also explore whether technical or financial assistance is available through local agencies, resource conservation districts, or state and federal programs. Assistance should be confirmed before assuming any project costs will be reimbursed.
For those of us managing smaller agricultural properties, understanding the financial picture is essential.
6. Get Your Records and Responsibilities Organized
Once you've established that recharge may be feasible, the next step is preparing for participation.
Depending on the applicable program, you may need parcel information, maps showing the proposed recharge area, documentation of your water source, measurement arrangements, and records of water deliveries.
If your land is leased, you'll also want to talk with your tenant about who would manage recharge activities, who would pay associated costs, and how any potential groundwater credits would be handled under your lease and GSA requirements.
These are conversations worth having before a recharge opportunity arises.
You'll also want to identify who is responsible for monitoring water applications, protecting crops, and documenting the activity.
If water becomes available for only a limited period, having these details organized can make a meaningful difference.
How to Prepare Your Agricultural Property for Groundwater Recharge
If you're a small or midsize agricultural landowner interested in participating this winter, here's where I would start.
Your Recharge Ready Checklist
Contact your water supplier. Find out whether your property could receive water for recharge and what delivery arrangements would be required.
Review your property's suitability. Consider soils, infiltration, crops, drainage, and groundwater conditions.
Contact your GSA. Ask for the current recharge policy and confirm application, registration, and approval requirements.
Identify potential infrastructure needs. Determine whether your existing system can be used or whether improvements would be necessary.
Understand the financial considerations. Evaluate water delivery costs, preparation expenses, and potential credit benefits.
Prepare your documentation. Organize parcel information, proposed recharge locations, measurement arrangements, and any required agreements.
Know whom to call. Keep contact information for your water supplier, GSA, and relevant technical advisers readily available.
You may not be able to complete every step immediately, but you can begin the conversations now.
Groundwater Recharge Resources for California Landowners
California has made significant progress in developing resources to help agricultural landowners evaluate recharge opportunities. Here are several useful starting points.
Practical on-farm recharge guidance, methods manuals, case studies, and crop-specific recommendations, including guidance for walnut orchards.
Information about groundwater recharge, state programs, and resources for evaluating recharge opportunities.
Information about temporary recharge permits, qualifying floodflow diversion pathways, and preparing for potential wet-year opportunities.
These resources provide a starting point. Your local GSA and water supplier remain essential sources for determining which requirements apply to your property.
When the Water Comes, Will You Be Ready?
One of the things I've learned from working with agricultural stakeholders is that sometimes the most important step is simply knowing which question to ask.
Groundwater management is becoming increasingly complex. Landowners are navigating allocations, reporting requirements, new accounting systems, and long-term decisions about their agricultural operations.
Recharge adds another consideration, but it may also offer an opportunity.
For smaller agricultural landowners, understanding that opportunity shouldn't require having a full-time water management team.
It should begin with clear information, practical guidance, and a conversation with the people responsible for managing our local water resources.
We don't know exactly what this winter will bring.
We do know that preparing for potential recharge opportunities can help landowners make informed decisions when conditions change.
So if you've been wondering whether your property might qualify for groundwater recharge, I encourage you to begin asking questions now.
Contact your water supplier. Talk with your GSA. Explore the resources available.
Because when the water comes, the best opportunity may belong to those who have already prepared.
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