We use an indirect measurement to infer where the base of Recovery Glacier is wet or swampy, based on radio-echo sounding observations. This requires us to determine the absorption of the radar wave inside the ice as a function of chemical impurities and temperature. The resulting quantity is the basal reflection coefficient, which allows us to distinguish between dry, swampy and wet base. Here we intend to discuss how spatially variable the basal reflection coefficient is and to what extent this is driven by errors in the absorption or real spatial variation. The resulting distribution of wet and swampy base is discussed with respect to the location of the main trunk and a shear margin separating the ice stream from the surrounding area. Using a flux routing approach, we show the distribution of water layer beneath the glacier system and location of sinks, based on CryoSat-2 surface elevation and a new bed topography from our radio-echo sounding campaign.