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Artificial recharge with surface water in Jordan has been discussed at length in several reports and papers, but so far this technique has hardly been applied in the country. This article describes the site selection, design, construction and operation of four small retention structures in Wadi Madoneh during the period 2003-2009. The catchment (37 km(2)) is located some 20 km east of Amman in a desert region (average annual precipitation is 160 mm). The project is based on a feasibility study conducted in the 1990s. It is shown that in the previous study the retention structures have been largely overdesigned, because of absence of discharge measurements and the negligence of climate change. For this pilot an extensive hydrological study was carried out, based on historical data and contemporary measurements, to derive design parameters for small in-channel dams with a height of 3-6 m. The retention structures are designed to retain the floods in order to slowly release this water for infiltration in the Wadi bed downstream. Four retention structures were installed by a local contractor in 2007. This study shows that virtually all surface runoff from the catchment has ceased which makes the method very effective while the costs are low. Artificial recharge with small retention structures is recommended for application on a larger scale and considered a cheap alternative for other non-conventional water resources supply methods. From experience with vandalism and interaction with the local community, improvements to the design of the dams are recommended.