[hinkley]

Wet forest land cools the air. When humid air hits cold air you get rain. We don’t know the extent to which biological systems create their own rain, but we know it’s greater than zero. Also ground water recharging helps restore the water table, which helps keep the flow rate of the river higher for longer.

So yes, keeping water in the system longer doesn’t magically increase the rate you can draw it down… unless it does.