By Joshua Graham—Lead Compliance Manager // 2023-01-05
Arizona is one of several southwestern states currently facing a mega drought. A mega drought is defined by length of time and not intensity of the drought as long as it has lasted two decades or longer due to La Nina conditions. These conditions over time tend to create water shortages resulting in usage restrictions. These prolonged droughts create environmental conditions that increase the risk of other hazards such as wildfires, flash floods, landslides, and debris flows. The severity depends on numerous factors, including duration, intensity, geographic extent as well as regional water supply demands. Although, while the Sonoran Desert’s arid climate has subjected Maricopa County to drought conditions throughout history, water management efforts have mitigated water shortages for the past century.
After water levels in Lake Mead reached a historic low, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that it would cut Arizona's river allotment by 21 percent, increasing water loss by 80,000 acre-feet from 2022. These increased restrictions have already started to affect desert communities such as Rio Verde Foothills located just outside of Scottsdale, Arizona. This desert community of roughly 2200 homes in Maricopa County does not have its own water system and majority of residents get their water supply from private wells, however 500 homeowners rely on water delivery from Scottsdale, AZ. The city will soon be barring trucking companies from purchasing and exporting its water come January 1, 2023. This comes as Scottsdale’s water supply will now be limited to only city residents.
This decision was one element of a larger contingency plan by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) which delivers water from the Colorado river to central and southern Arizona. The Salt River Project’s (SRP) water storage reservoirs, Bartlett lake and Roosevelt lake levels remain consistent only due to pumping ground water from two of the valleys sub basins. The East Salt River Valley Basin and the West Salt River Valley Basin have been used to partially fill the reservoirs.
Arizona will continue to be subject to drought conditions as the valley population continues and new developments are built. It is likely contingency plans and water restrictions will continue to play a part in Arizona’s history.
