WATER SPREADING

(1) (General) Diverting runoff from natural channels or gullies by means of a system of dams, dikes, or ditches, and spreading it over relatively flat areas. The purpose is to increase the growth of natural vegetation or to infiltrate and recharge the groundwater for subsequent withdrawal by pumps for irrigation. Also see Artificial Recharge. (2) (Reclamation Projects) A controversial practice of using surface water from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) irrigation projects to grow crops outside district boundaries. As of 1995, it was estimated that across the 17 Western states water spreading occurred on at least 1.8 million irrigated acres.