Granite Reef Underground Storage Project, Mesa, Arizona
Excess water from the Salt and Verde rivers, Central Arizona Project water via the South Canal, and reclaimed water via pipeline from Mesa water reclamation facility is diverted to storage ponds (basins) at the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project. The project is a partnership between Phoenix and 5 other regional municipalities. It is owned and operated by Salt River Project (SRP).
Through artificial groundwater recharge, water is retained in huge, porous earthen basins and allowed to seep into the natural underground aquifer below. Water is stored in the aquifer and withdrawn by well-pumping when needed.
GRUSP and NAUSP enable Arizona to maximize the use of its Colorado River entitlement and help the state reach its "safe yield" goal. Safe yield is the equilibrium between the amount of groundwater pumped from an aquifer and the amount recharged into it.
It is permitted to recharge 93,000 acre-feet per year. ©Ted Wood Usage rights are granted for editorial and nonprofit purposes only. No commercial or re-sale rights are granted without permission of the photographer. Full use and licensing information can be found here, https://waterdesk.org/multimedia/license
