Increasing Fort Ord groundwater supply by use of recharge basins

Currently there is a shortage of water in Monterey County. Many solutions for these problems are being discussed, especially the prospect of a desalination plant in Moss Landing (MPWMD, 2004). One solution that is being widely used around the world, but not locally, is rainwater harvesting. Rainwater harvesting is the capture of rainwater from roofs and roads (Texas Guide to Rainwater Harvesting, 2004). Once captured, the water can then be stored in cisterns or allowed to recharge the groundwater for future use (Centre for Science and Education, 2004). To calculate the amount of water that can be captured, the catchment area (roofs, etc) is multiplied by the amount of rainfall for that area. That total is then multiplied by a runoff coefficient, called an SCS Curve Number, which adjusts the total runoff available by taking infiltration, evaporation and error in the design of the system into account (Viessman, et al, 2003). The amount of runoff that can be captured from Fort Ord is 9665 acre-feet during an average rainfall year, 20240 acre-feet during a wet year, and 4420 acre-feet during a dry year. By simply capturing water from the housing areas and schools on Fort Ord during average, wet and dry years, 4600, 9640 and 2100 acre-feet per year, respectively, can be captured. This water can then be allowed to recharge the groundwater on Fort Ord, where it can not only help increase the water supply, but fill the aquifers to help stop the migration of saltwater intrusion