Why Groundwater Matters for Arizona鈥檚 People and Birds
We need to ensure its continued protection.
Groundwater takes thousands of years to accrue鈥攁nd sometimes鈥攋ust decades to deplete. When too much is pumped out of the ground too fast鈥攁s we have seen throughout Arizona鈥 and the ecosystems and wildlife that rely on that water can be depleted. The quality of this fossil resource often degrades as people must dig wells deeper and deeper.
Given the connection between riparian health providing bird habitat and groundwater withdrawals, 爆料公社 is committed to protecting groundwater and ensuring its sustainable management in Arizona. After all, as we like to say, #BirdsNeedWater鈥攅ven if that鈥檚 groundwater.
Ahead of the 2020 Arizona legislative session, a flurry of news articles and meetings have elevated the discussions around groundwater to the public square. Here is what you need to know:
- : The Arizona Republic highlights a by the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, which questions the longevity of our current growth and water supplies. Current rules allow for new housing and business developments to use groundwater, as long as another entity (the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District) recharges water back into the ground at the same levels.
- : The Arizona Daily Star zeroes in on one of the issues highlighted in the Kyl Center report, that there is a hydrological disconnect between where developments served by groundwater are withdrawing water and where they are replenishing it. This 鈥渄isconnect鈥 is resulting in areas of localized groundwater depletion, while other areas, namely where a lot of Colorado River water is being put into groundwater recharge basins, are seeing groundwater levels rise. This means while some areas are reaching 鈥渟afe yield鈥 (the amount of water replenished equals the amount withdrawn), other areas may see localized stress over time from groundwater pumping.
- : KJZZ, Phoenix鈥檚 public radio station, covers the announcement by the Arizona Department of Water Resources that the agency projects a shortfall in available groundwater to meet slated demands in Pinal County. A group of stakeholders will be convening to address these water supply gaps and propose solutions.
- : The Arizona Republic reports that Bruce Babbitt, the Governor of Arizona when the 1980 Groundwater Management Act was signed into law, urged rural County Supervisors to seek the ability to govern the groundwater resources in their county jurisdictions. On a related note, there is currently a committee, as part of the Governor鈥檚 Water Council, aimed at addressing priorities for groundwater management outside of Active Management Areas (AMAs). Currently, groundwater is only regulated within AMAs.
At 爆料公社, we鈥檙e ready to defend against short-sighted proposals that weaken existing protections of groundwater. We are also on the lookout for opportunities to , and will be calling on you to help us this legislative session.
Need a primer on groundwater management? Check out: 10 Things You Should Know About Arizona鈥檚 Groundwater Management Act.