The Hydrologic Cycle And Our Most Important Renewable Resource Surface water evaporates from the earth s surface to form clouds which release water, in the form of snow, sleet, hail or rain, back to the earth.
Some water percolates into the ground and is stored as groundwater.
Some water is collected in lakes and rivers or falls into the ocean. Water is constantly being renewed and reused in this way. This process of Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation is known as the Hydrologic Cycle. This translates into approximately 5.9 billion gallons per year. We are fortunate in that we have a substantial water right diversion from the Sacramento River that dates back to 1886.