Arizona Water Resources And Issues Border Legislative Conference December 7, 2006.
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Transcript of Arizona Water Resources And Issues Border Legislative Conference December 7, 2006.
ArizonaArizona Water Resources Water Resources And IssuesAnd Issues
Border Legislative Border Legislative Conference Conference
December 7, 2006December 7, 2006
Average statewide Arizona monthly precipitation, (bars; left-hand scale) and temperature (line; right-hand
scale) 1971-2000
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec
pre
cip
(in
.)
0
20
40
60
80
100
tem
p (
F)
Precip (in.) Temp (F)
Water Supply of ArizonaWater Supply of ArizonaColorado Colorado River 2.8 River 2.8
MAFMAF
Salt Salt River River 0.9 0.9 MAFMAF
Gila River Gila River 0.3 MAF0.3 MAF
GroundwaGroundwater 3.5 ter 3.5 MAFMAF
Arizona Water SupplyArizona Water SupplyAnnual Water BudgetAnnual Water Budget
Water SourceWater Source Million Acre-Feet Million Acre-Feet (maf)(maf)
% of Total% of Total
SURFACE SURFACE WATERWATER
Colorado RiverColorado River 2.82.8 36.4 %36.4 %CAPCAP 1.61.6 21%21%
On-RiverOn-River 1.21.2 16%16%
In-State RiversIn-State Rivers 1.21.2 15.6%15.6% Salt-VerdeSalt-Verde 0.90.9 12%12%
Gila & othersGila & others 0.30.3 4%4%
GROUNDWATEGROUNDWATERR
3.53.5 45.5%45.5%
EFFLUENTEFFLUENT 0.180.18 2.3%2.3%
TotalTotal
7.7 maf7.7 maf
Sources: ADWR, UofA, USGS
DemandDemand
Industrial .41 maf
5%
Agriculture5.9 maf
77%
Municipal 1.37 maf
18%
Border Profile
• Two thirds of Arizona’s border is under federal jurisdiction as national monuments, forests, wildlife refuges, bombing ranges or are tribal lands
• Significant agricultural and urban water use is therefore restricted to area near Yuma and to the communities of Nogales, Sierra Vista and Douglas
Border ProfileGroundwater Basin
2003 Populati
on
2003Surface Water
Demand (acre-ft)
2003Groundwa
ter Demand(acre-ft)
2050 Populatio
n
Yuma 176,000 788,000 304,000 502,000
Santa Cruz AMA
37,000 20,000 58,500(2025)
Upper San Pedro
82,000 4,500 34,000 110,000
Douglas 28,500 0 95,000 36,500
Yuma BasinCultural Water Demand-2003
• 1.09 million acre-feet used in 2003 by agricultural, municipal and industrial sector– Well pumpage and diversion of Colorado River
contract water– 96% Agricultural Use
• Use not expected to increase• 72% surface water
– 3.5% Municipal Use• Rapidly growing communities of San Luis, Yuma and
Fortuna Foothills• 85% surface water
– .5% Industrial Use• 69% surface water
Santa Cruz AMA
• 37,000 people; population concentrated in Nogales and along the Santa Cruz River
• Large fluctuations in temporary residents
• Nogales, AZ population 23,000
• Nogales, Mexico population 300,000
Nogales
Tubac
PIMA
COUNTY
Rio Rico
SANTA
CRUZ
COUNTY
Amado
Demographics
Upper San Pedro BasinCultural Water Demand - 2003
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
Municipal Industrial Agricultural
Water Use Sector
Acr
e-F
eet
Surface water
Groundwater
Douglas BasinCultural Water Demand - 2003
• 60,400 acre feet of groundwater• Irrigation Non-expansion area
– Most of basin is an Irrigation Non-expansion area
– no new lands can be irrigated with groundwater
• 89% Agricultural Use– Water use is increasing
• 11% Municipal Use– Demand is increasing slowly
“Subflow” subsurface water subject to surface water law
Laws governing surface water are distinct from those governing groundwater
Government Framework and Management of Water
Resources
– Surface water• Prior appropriation doctrine
– “First in time, first in right”
– Groundwater• Beneficial use doctrine
– Unlimited ability to pump, so long as use is “beneficial” and “reasonable” (outside AMAs)
– Ability to pump constrained by system of rights and permits (inside AMAs)
Water Management AreasWater Management Areas
Joseph City INA: No new irrigated
lands
Prescott AMA goal: safe-
yield by 2025
Phoenix AMA goal: safe-
yield by 2025
Tucson AMA goal: safe-
yield by 2025
Harquahala INA: No new irrigated
lands
Douglas INA: No new
irrigated lands
Pinal AMA goals:- allow development
of non-irrigation uses
- preserve agriculture as long
as feasibleSanta Cruz AMA goal:- maintain safe-yield- prevent decline of water table
• Underground Storage– CAP and effluentCAP and effluent– 55 Active Permits55 Active Permits– Permitted volumes 150 af to 200 Permitted volumes 150 af to 200
kaf/yearkaf/year– Most recharge facilities are located Most recharge facilities are located
within AMAs; especially the Phoenix AMAwithin AMAs; especially the Phoenix AMA
• Conservation• Reuse• Augmentation
Challenges: Future Water Challenges: Future Water SuppliesSupplies
Future Water SuppliesFuture Water SuppliesUnderground Storage - BenefitsUnderground Storage - Benefits
• Long-term storageLong-term storage
• Large capacityLarge capacity
• Little evaporative Little evaporative lossloss
• Reduces risk of Reduces risk of subsidencesubsidence
Water Management InitiativesWater Management Initiatives
• ConservationConservation– Technology TransferTechnology Transfer– Education and Public InformationEducation and Public Information
• Effluent ReuseEffluent Reuse• Augmentation and Water TransfersAugmentation and Water Transfers
– Agriculture to Urban Water TransfersAgriculture to Urban Water Transfers– Desalinization in the Future?Desalinization in the Future?
Challenges: Indian Water Challenges: Indian Water SettlementsSettlements
• 28% of Arizona Land held in Trust 28% of Arizona Land held in Trust for the benefit of Native Americansfor the benefit of Native Americans
• Recently Settled:Recently Settled:– Gila River Indian Community and Gila River Indian Community and
Tohono O’odhamTohono O’odham635,000 acre-feet/year to Gila 635,000 acre-feet/year to Gila
River River Indian CommunityIndian Community-- Fort Yuma – Quechan-- Fort Yuma – Quechan
• Pending settlements; Navajo, Hopi, Pending settlements; Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache and San White Mountain Apache and San Carlos ApacheCarlos Apache
Challenges - Surface Water Challenges - Surface Water AdjudicationsAdjudications
Gila RiverGila River
Little Colorado Little Colorado RiverRiver
Definition: “A general stream Definition: “A general stream adjudication is a judicial adjudication is a judicial proceeding in which the nature, proceeding in which the nature, extent, and relative priority of extent, and relative priority of water rights is determined.” water rights is determined.”
•Court must define the legal Court must define the legal difference between surface difference between surface water and ground water water and ground water before rights can be before rights can be determineddetermined
Gila & Little Colorado cases are still Gila & Little Colorado cases are still in Phase 1 after 30+ yearsin Phase 1 after 30+ years
Challenges - Colorado RiverChallenges - Colorado River
•Arizona’s Central Arizona Project Arizona’s Central Arizona Project water supply has the most junior water supply has the most junior priority.priority.
•Drought may cause water supply Drought may cause water supply shortageshortage
•Discussions are underway on Discussions are underway on supply augmentation, supply augmentation, conservation and system conservation and system management to meet demands management to meet demands and obligationsand obligations
Upper Basin (7.5 Upper Basin (7.5 mafmaf)
Lower Basin (7.5 Lower Basin (7.5 maf)maf)
California – 4.4 mafCalifornia – 4.4 maf
Arizona – 2.8 mafArizona – 2.8 maf
Nevada – 0.3 mafNevada – 0.3 maf
Mexico 1.5 Mexico 1.5 mafmaf
ArizonArizona a
Upper Upper Basin Basin – 50 – 50 kafkaf
Lee Lee FerryFerry
Colorado River Colorado River Compact & Treaty Compact & Treaty
AllocationsAllocations
• Arizona Drought Preparedness Plan adopted in 2004 to identify drought impacts, prepare drought response and reduce drought impacts
• Water providers must prepare drought plans
• Drought monitoring is ongoing
Challenges -DroughtChallenges -Drought
• Colorado River - federal jurisdiction and international treaty
• Population growth is impacting shared and limited water supplies
• Limited hydrologic information for many border basins hinders water planning and management
• Water quality issues in the Douglas/Agua Prieta and Ambos Nogales pose a threat to local water supplies
• Lack of access to renewable water supplies to support increasing demand
Challenges - BorderChallenges - Border