AMWUA (Arizona Municipal Water Users Association), 3003 N. Central Ave., Suite 1550, Phoenix, AZ 85012, 2023 Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. Apparently, the state has also stored nearly 3 trillion gallons of water for future use or non-rainy days, which is equivalent to serving the city of Phoenix for 30 years, according to the ADWR. It has long relied on groundwater to serve its communities and its major tourist operation, Grand Canyon West thats outside the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. Our readers include residents, business owners, water wonks, elected officials, and journalistspretty much anyone who cares about water. Greenstone, a Phoenix-based investment firm, bought nearly 500 acres with the intent to sell the lands water allotment to Queen Creek, a growing Phoenix suburb about 200 miles away. (ADWR), 41% of the states current water supply comes from groundwater, 36% from Colorado River, 18% from in-state rivers, and 5% from reclaimed water. The reductions waiting to be fully carried out under Tier 3 of the DCP agreement are substantial. Arizonas water supply is going to take a hit in 2022 because of falling levels behind the Hoover Dam. The drought-stricken Southwest got a reprieve this year with average and above-average snowfall following a year that sent many states into extreme drought. News accounts have been full of bad news about Lake Mead, Lake Powell and the system overall. The region has suffered from a long-term drought, and Lake Mead water levels have declined significantly over the past two decades. An acre-foot is equal to 326,000 gallons of water. (Rebecca Slezak/Dallas Morning News/AP). This could potentially move 600,000 acre-feet of water, offsetting the projected loss from the Colorado River. HOW DOES A TIER 1 SHORTAGE IMPACT ARIZONA? This declaration of cutbacks in water deliveries was in accordance with established Colorado River operating criteria. Central Arizona Water Conservation District board President Terry Goddard said last month that his agency predicts almost for certain that even larger Tier 3 cuts another 720,000 acre-feet could affect the state as early as 2024 (Greenwire, May 4). The unused groundwater is then recorded as banked. Arizona uses approximately 7 million acre-feet (maf) of water each year from all sources, about 2.8 maf of which comes fom the Colorado River. . Under the current framework for managing the River, the August 24-Month Study determines what level of shortage the River will be in based on the projected levels of Lake Mead for January of the following year. As drought tightened its decades-long grip on the American West, leaders in 2019 signed a series of agreements known as the Drought Contingency Plan, which call for leaving more water in Lake Mead to delay severe shortages. Lake Powell was at 26% of capacity, 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level at the time. You can watch the CAP to TAP event video in which we take you from the waters Colorado River origin, to groundwater replenishment, through the system to the point the water comes out your faucet. The rest is used along the river, primarily for agriculture in Yuma. Farmers across Arizona are expected to be hit the hardest as agriculture uses the majority of the state's river water allocation at an estimated 527,000 acre-feet per year. Participants in the program include large and small cities on the Colorado River, irrigation districts, tribal nations and even private businesses, like Resolution Copper Mining. The AWBAs nest egg of 3.75 million acre-feet of water is the equivalent of 1.3 times the states annual allocation of 2.8 million acre-feet of Colorado River water. Water buffalos the experts, wonks and gadflies of the water worldin Valley city halls say the impending shortage isnt solely to blame for the increases. Several cities in metro Phoenix have increased rates for 2022 or are considering hikes. Our readers include residents, business owners, water wonks, elected officials, and journalistspretty much anyone who cares about water. Of our Buschatzke noted, for example, the millions of acre feet of water stored underground by the Arizona Water Bank, as well as by private entities such as EPCOR, the Canadian-owned private water company that serves numerous Valley communities. President Joe Biden has approved three bills that will improve access to water for three tribes in Arizona amid an unrelenting drought. As part of DCP, Arizona formalized the already existing practice of water users conserving a portion of the Lake Mead allocation. The ten AMWUA cities will continue to plan and prepare even amidst uncertainty while waiting for Reclamation to make a decision. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). pitting small towns against fast-growing metropolitan communities. Matt York/AP Photo. For more water information, visitwww.amwua.org. The modeling projections show that the total Colorado River System Storage is at 39% capacity, down from 49% at the same time last year. The shortage would slash Arizonas excess pool, which has longbeen used to fuel growth in some of the Valleys farthest reaches, and could significantly cut into the water supply used by Pinal County farmers. Nevertheless, he noted, the conditions on the Colorado River system are likely to deteriorate further in the coming calendar year. If the projected level falls below 1,075 feet of elevation above sea level, a shortage is declared, and Arizona must cut back its use of water. That water can be put into the aquifers either by an injection well or a standard well, or via large recharge basins that sit over alluvial material, typically composed of layers of sand and gravel. Over the same period, the state has recorded 6.2 more days that are above 110F (43C), which translates to significantly more danger days where residents are more likely to succumb to heat-related health issues and deaths. By donating us $100, $50 or subscribe to Boosting $10/month we can get this article and others in front of tens of thousands of specially targeted readers. Tier 1 shortage. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Now it seems, Arizona water cutbacks will begin in January 2022. Confirm Logout Otherwise, Colorado River conditions will rapidly spiral towards deadpool, and there will not be a River to manage. We are looking at every possible volume of water that can be acquired and transferred legally in the state, Gardner said. Instead, the Arizona Water Bank operates as a kind of warehouse manager for water, recording excess Colorado River water at sites around the state. Each has a specified amount of water that they are entitled to use every year. Thats because last summer, for the first time ever, drought conditions forced the federal government to declare a tier 1 water shortage in the Colorado River, reducing how much Arizona can use. When the elevation of Lake Mead is projected in August to fall to 1,075 feet or lower by the end of the current year, the federal government is to declare a Tier 1 Shortage beginning in January. But its also at risk of having water curtailed because its a lower-tier right. The Southwests water system is designed for drought , said Margaret Garcia, an assistant professor in ASUs School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. Projections of Lake Powell indicate the potential of falling below the minimum power pool as early as July 2022. Some of them, like surface water supplies maintained by the Salt River Project, appear to be in good shape following reasonably good spring runoff into SRPs system of reservoirs. Despite the speed at which the River has declined and with the real possibility of having significantly less water next year, the ten AMWUA cities are up to the task of meeting the water demands of their communities. The shortage, which will begin The agency did not respond to CNNs request for comment. Explaining Arizona waterthe issues, policies, management strategies, drought, conservation, and stewardship. We have that resource available to us, he said, as well as billions of dollars available to us for things like recycling, augmentation and other solutions that may be on the table.. A Tier 1 shortage does mean that municipal water providers will continue to do what they have done for decades. Planning that Balances Natural Resources with Economic Growth, Elected leaders who are focused on the future and whose decisions match the goals & values of Arizonans. I think people would be much more upset if they went to turn on the tap and nothing came out, Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers said. In that sense, its good. The Hualapai Tribe also secured the right to lease water as part of its settlement in the lower Colorado River basin. Projections at Lake Mead show there is a chance as high as 66% that water levels will decline to 1,025 feet by 2025, triggering a Tier 3 Shortage. A Colorado River shortage is just one of many scenarios the cities have planned for. to find new sources of water over the next three years and to partner with other states on desalination plants. For over 50 years, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association has worked to protect our member cities ability to provide assured, safe, and sustainable water supplies to their communities. But, as ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke said, Because of the serious nature of the drought were in and where were heading (its important) that people realize there are solutions out there and solutions already in place and on the horizon.. Water levels on Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US, is currently experiencing historic low-water levels, caused by the ongoing 20-year-long megadrought in the US West, as well as reduced snowpack in the Rocky Mountains where it usually provides a steady supply of water as it melts. These proactive measures and long-term planning efforts are necessary in our arid state and have ensured reliable water supplies during times of drought and shortage. To think, I have this beautiful home and Im not going to be able to live here because water is not going to be approved and provided to my home is just incredibly unnerving and stressful, Deangelis said. The underground storage process involves physically storing water drawn from the Colorado River in existing aquifers. They also will determine how much water can be released from the banks savings. It is worth noting that despite a population increase of six million residents since 1957, Arizona has been using about the same amount of water now as they did then. Republic reporter Taylor Seely contributed to this report. WebARIZONA STRONGER TOGETHER In August 2021, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior declared the first-ever Tier 1 shortage for Colorado River operations. It is also where the all-important Hoover Dam is located bordering with Nevada where it helps control floods, provide irrigation water as well as generate hydroelectric power. For Arizona, a Tier 1 Shortage results in an estimated 30% reduction to Colorado River supplies delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) to water users in Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima counties. The DCP formalized that practice, requiring that Arizona leave specified volumes of water in In comparison, here are the prescribed cutbacks in a Tier 2a Shortage: Why is more than a Tier 2a Shortage needed? You can also read more about the basics of Arizona Water in the WeSERV Water Issues Task force flyer Water in Arizona Is My Property in an AMA or INA? Thats the way it works.. https%3A%2F%2Fearth.org%2Farizona-water-shortage%2F. Holly Irwin, a district supervisor in La Paz County, home to Cibola, is fighting the plan. The Capitol Times Morning Scoop water roundtable, a regular feature of the newspaper, also included Terry Goddard, president of the board of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, Ted Cooke, General Manager of the Central Arizona Project, Dave Roberts, Associate General Manager of Salt River Project and Joe Gysel, President of EPCOR USA. These preparations have been based on the framework established for operating Lake Mead and Lake Powell, known as the 2007 Interim Guidelines and the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). According to the Water Banks annual report, a Tier 3 status, which could be less than two years away, would trigger the maximum release of 120,000 acre-feet per year, split among tribes, municipalities and industrial users. Global Historical Climatology Network site. For alternative water sources, there has been discussions of, pumping floodwaters from the Mississippi River basin. For alternative water sources, there has been discussions of pumping floodwaters from the Mississippi River basin to either Colorados Front Range or to New Mexicos Rio Grande. The seven Basin States Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming were tasked with developing a plan within 60 days to accomplish this drastic reduction for a River currently producing less than 13 million acre-feet of water. To help water users facing reductions during a Tier 1 Shortage, the Arizona DCP Implementation Plan was created in 2019 to provide alternate water supplies and funding to those impacted by the cuts. Others thatrely much less on the Colorado Riverare not. Crunden | 01/17/2023 01:16 PM EST, By Robin Bravender | 01/17/2023 01:16 PM EST, By Hannah Northey | 01/13/2023 01:25 PM EST. Instead of potentially ceding those flows to California, the state opened a kind of liquid piggy bank, storing away a share of its water for an uncertain future. Its clear the state needs to do more beyond the water restriction from the declaration. But as the climate crisis continues to intensify, Arizona has been embattled with a myriad of issues, chief among them being the increasing threat of water shortage and scarcity. But OConnell said officials will aim to spread the supply for a significantly longer period of time. Were working on phasing into the other responsibilities that we have, of actually making that water available to others when shortages hit us.. The Colorado System Storage is down 10% from last year. While that wont directly hit cities, it will make the remaining water pricier, Peoria Water Services Director Cape Powers said. While Arizonas water banking system isnt the only one in operation other storage schemes exist in places like California, which is home to 517 groundwater basins it is unique in that it does not serve as a clearinghouse, or a middleman that sells and exchanges water credits from users with excess to those in need. Supplemental water deliveries to Lake Powell began in July 2021 under emergency provisions of the 2019 Drought Response Operation Agreement. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) A Native American tribe that has one of the largest and most secure rights to Colorado River water now has approval to lease some of it in Arizona, a state thats been hardest hit by cuts to its water supply and is on a perpetual search for more. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Flores suggested the leases wont be as long as the 50-year terms that the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs offered for farming on the tribes reservation. Exceptional Drought: Lake Powell then and now, family revisits 2014 houseboat trip, Dry farmland and a defunct resort; the repercussions of Lake Mead's water shortage. Fortunately, Arizona and forward-thinking water providers have been planning for a future where the possibility of reduced CAP water deliveries could become a reality. Indeed, if the reservoir drops below 895 feet, it is considered a dead pool condition, which will jeopardise the Hoover Dams ability to provide electricity leaving nearly, in Arizona, California, and Nevada without power. In 2021, the Bureau of Reclamation declared its first-ever water shortage, cutting more than 500,000 acre-feet of water going to Arizona. An acre-foot of water would generally supply three average Phoenix households with water for a year. A Tier 2 shortage, if its declared, cuts an additional 80,000 acre-feet of water to Arizona. The reductions, which range from Tier 0 to Tier 3, are tied to the elevation of the reservoir. (AP Photo/John Locher, File), Phoenix Fire responds to another school after students allegedly took edibles, Some 300 campers stranded at an Arizona park due to flooding, Wednesday morning Arizona forecast 1-18-23, a whole-of-government approach to drought mitigation, Feds declare water shortage for Colorado River, cut allotment to Arizona. The writing has been on the wall for years that the Colorado Rivers yearly overallocation would eventually catch up to it. 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