Salinity Controls on Artificial Recharge: Case Study Distinguishing Mixing from Mineral Dissolution in a Saline Aquifer

ABSTRACT Artificial recharge is increasingly important for groundwater management in arid regions, yet its effectiveness depends on how recharge water interacts with existing aquifer salinity. In the southwestern San Fernando Valley Groundwater Basin of Los Angeles, CA, elevated sulfate and total dissolved solids (TDS) have long prevented artificial recharge west of the “bad-water line.” This study evaluated whether modern salinity results mainly from conservative mixing with sulfate-rich ground