Ponded depth in an artificial-recharge basin was used as a management option to conduct turbid water from the James River to the Oakes aquifer. Infiltration-rate response to changes in ponded depth was evaluated for a 15xl5-meter artificial-recharge test basin constructed in a medium-sandy soil in the irrigation area near Oakes, southeastern North Dakota. Field experiments conducted at the test basin indicated that the clogged soil surface was easily scoured by currents caused by the addition of turbid water to increase ponded depth. Field measurements and computer-model simulations indicated that infiltration-rate response to an increase in ponded depth would be large for a clogged soil condition consisting of a surface filter-cake layer 0.1 centimeter in depth underlain by a sediment-clogged layer extending from 0.1 to 23 centimeters beneath the basin floor. Simulated infiltration-rate response to changes in ponded depth for surface filter-cake layer impedance values ranging from 0 to 1,000 hours indicated that infiltration-rate response would approach and remain near the maximum value for impedance values greater than 10 hours. The smallest infiltration-rate response would occur for impedance values less than 1 hour. For the case of a ground-water mound intersecting the basin floor, the percentage of infiltration-rate response to changes in ponded depth was not influenced by basin geometry, basin surface area, or underlying aquifer hydraulic conductivity. The simulated infiltration-rate response to changes in ponded depth increased when the water-table depth was shallow. Total recharge per unit area was greater for artificial-recharge basins having a less compact geometry than for artificial-recharge basins having a more compact geometry, for artificial-recharge basins having a small surface area than for artificial-recharge basins having a large surface area, and for artificial-recharge basins where underlying aquifer hydraulic conductivity was large rather than small. Artificial-recharge basin conditions most conducive to an effective infiltration-rate response to changes in ponded depth were least conducive to an enhanced total recharge.
