Fresno has a surprisingly rich history in that regard, one I never hear about outside of reading that one book. It is basically the modern day equivalent of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
When settlers first arrived in the area, it was mostly desert with some greenery along the rivers. After canal development, it became a lush landscape. The book contains incredible before and after photos.
After canal development, low lying areas turned into de facto lakes. They eventually turned some into groundwater recharge ponds.
During some years, Fresno has actually raised the ground water level, though it only gets 11 inches of rain per year. The county played a critical role in the creation of water rights laws in the state of California, as well as in the history of water development tools and technology. Multiple patents were developed in Fresno County.
If you are concerned about these issues or do work related to such, I highly recommend reading the book.
https://www.worldcat.org/title/water-for-a-thirsty-land-the-...
(Salt Dreams is also an excellent read.)