Did the Spray-Irrigated Wastewater Increase Recharge and Base Flow?
On an annual basis, spray irrigation increased the ground-water recharge to the study watershed. In order to determine the amount of increased recharge, water budgets for the study watershed were compared to water budgets of the Red Clay Creek Basin above the U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station (01479820) near Kennett Square, Pa. (drainage area 28.3 mi2). The 38-acre (0.07 mi2) study watershed is within the larger Red Clay Creek Basin. The water budgets for Red Clay Creek would not show measurable affects of the spray irrigation because the amount of wastewater applied is small when compared to the larger size basin. Water budgets and recharge estimates were determined for 2000 and 2001 in the study watershed (fig. 3A and 3B) and Red Clay Creek Basin (table 1). Table 1. Annual water budgets and recharge estimates for the Red Clay Creek Basin, 2000 and 2001.
