STREAMFLOW LOSSES, CONSEQUENT FLOW THROUGH A THICK UNSATURATED ZONE, AND RECHARGE TO AN UNCONFINED AQUIFER.

Two experiments were conducted in conjunction with a 23-day aquifer test made in south-central Arizona to determine (1) water loss from a natural channel and (2) flow through a 330-foot-thick unsaturated zone overlying an unconfined aquifer. The experiments provided control for the aquifer test plus results relative to arid land hydrology. The increases of soil moisture within the 330-foot-thick unsaturated zone and the consequent water-level rises show that recharge can occur quickly and that relatively large amounts of water can be recharged through thick sequences of unsaturated material.