Institutions and the Economic Efficiency of Managed Aquifer Recharge as a Mitigation Strategy Against Drought Impacts on Irrigated Agriculture in California

Managed aquifer recharge (or intentional recharge) is a purposeful human intervention designed to supplement natural enrichment processes of groundwater aquifers by various methods. It holds the potential mitigate impact climate uncertainty on irrigated agriculture restoring storage levels in depleted aquifers, economic value which increases during droughts. We use high-resolution dynamic regional hydroeconomic framework that endogenizes farming decisions response water quantity-quality changes, as well complex hydrogeological principles analyze several institutional designs and scenarios applied Kings Groundwater Basin California. Our analysis demonstrates high benefit region, potentially increasing average region 20% over 20-year horizon. Additionally, we show how this practice could become subject second-best arrangements among users view property rights derived from recent legislation California, thus its materialization potential. However, also find quantity recharged sensitive conditions hydrological properties. This article protected copyright. All reserved.