The objective of this project is to install real-time and high-frequency in-situ groundwater level monitors at a subset of properties managed by The Nature Conservancy in California.

The key research questions motivating these installations are:

1. How important are heavy (versus light) rainfalls for groundwater recharge and will climate change (and its expected concomitant changes to rainfall intensities and frequencies) impact long-term recharge rates?
2. How do recharge rates vary across California and how do recharge variations across space and time vary among diverse physiographic settings (topography and geology), land use conditions and land management, and climatic aridity zones?
3.  How do winter-season groundwater recharge rates in lowlands (e.g., Central Valley) change when land is temporarily flooded (e.g., be it managed or unmanaged)?
4. What proportion of rain events result in groundwater recharge and over what time frame? How important are low frequency, high precipitation (e.g. atmospheric river events) in recharge?