ABSTRACT: The best use of occasional runoff is an ancient experience of agriculture maintenance. The Yemen ancient Kataban culture knew this technique. Surface runoff is exploited by direct spate irrigation, water infiltration into the aquifer as water in storage during the dry period and discharge regulation downstream the wadi. Main factors of such water management in wadi are: flood water hydrograph interpretation, aquifer storage parameters estimation, groundwater level fluctuation evaluation and groundwater recharge and extraction estimation. The quantification of the groundwater recharge and natural floods for spate irrigation is the base of water management. This starts by wadi hydrograph. Possibilities of hydrograph evaluation are explained (estimation of discharge, infiltration, spate irrigation). Repeated pumping test and recovery are discussed with the aim of storage parameter estimation. Estimation of volume of extracted water from wells, based on pumping engine fuel consumption, is proposed for regional evaluation of groundwater level fluctuation. Study of the real drought issues in the arid areas could be the suitable introduction into the way of thinking about groundwater protection in our country.