The study looked at how big, infrequent events of groundwater recharge in northern Utah affect water availability. By analyzing data from 1960 to 2013, researchers found that these events happen every 11-13 years and are linked to above-average rainfall and snow, and below-average spring temperatures. Models showed that a single recharge event can increase groundwater storage by 115 to 205 million cubic meters per basin. This means that these events could add billions of cubic meters of water to aquifers in the northern Great Basin, which is important for managing water resources in the long term.