Focused Recharge in a Semi-arid Riparian Zone

Precipitation-induced recharge can be an important component of the water balance of semi-arid riparian zones. Recharge mechanisms were assessed as part of an ecohydrologic investigation at a site in a vegetated riparian zone along the Arkansas River in south-central Kansas (Larned Research Site). This site contains a network of shallow wells for water-table monitoring, neutron-probe access tubes for vadose-zone water content observations, a stream-gage station, and a weather station. Over the last four years, the Arkansas River has flowed at the site for less than four months, so the usual state of the channel is a dry, 20-30 m swath of coarse sand and gravel bounded by riparian-zone vegetation. An evaluation of water-table responses to precipitation at wells located at different distances from the channel found that recharge appears to be primarily occurring through the channel deposits. In the absence of rainfall, the general trend of ground water flow is from west to east. During and shortly after rain events, however, the hydraulic gradient changes and ground water flows outward from a mound underneath the channel. The peaks in the water-table hydrographs produced by precipitation events are lagged and attenuated with distance from the river channel in a manner very similar to what is observed when a flow event occurs in the river channel. These changes with distance from the channel appear to be independent of the depth to the water table. In addition, vadose-zone water content data show little evidence of vertical flow through the vadose zone in the vegetated riparian area in response to the precipitation. Variations in the dissolved solids content of ground water across the riparian area are consistent with recharge primarily occurring through the channel deposits.