In Western Bahia, where the Fêmeas River Basin is located, groundwater has been increasingly utilized, given the low density of drainage in the region and the growing demand for water, mainly irrigation projects. The objectives of this study are based on flow data to calculate the recharge of groundwater in the Femeas basin using two methods: Arnold & Allen (1999) and Rutledge & Daniel (1994), in the period of 1977 to 2007. The mean annual precipitation in the Fêmeas River Basin in the studied period was 1121.83 mm year-1 and the mean stream flow was 50.28 m³ s-1 year-1. Both showed a significant decreasing trend over the years. The mean base flow found for the basin was 257.41 mm year-1. The rates of recharge were 4% of total P (Arnold & Allen, 1999), and 17% (Rutledge & Daniel, 1994). Considering the basin discharge (around 250 mm year-1), the latter method seems to be better in estimating recharge.
groundwater recharge; hydrograph recession; hydrology
