Arizona Water Issue (Phoenix, Tucson, Parker: disposal, living, delivery)

[gregandvicky]

This link shows a potential problem for Arizona. I know a lot of water is derived through aquafir, however the central arizona water project(aquaducts) are a result of water from the Colorado river from Parker Dam just below Lake Havasu.

Lake Mead Could Be Within a Few Years of Going Dry, Study Finds - New York Times

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by gregandvicky

This link shows a potential problem for Arizona. I know a lot of water is derived through aquafir, however the central arizona water project(aquaducts) are a result of water from the Colorado river from Parker Dam just below Lake Havasu.

Lake Mead Could Be Within a Few Years of Going Dry, Study Finds - New York Times

Look - the CAP is primarily, not totally, to provide water to Tucson.

The Valley uses two main sources for water: Groundwater (aquafirs) and Surfaces Water - the Salt River Project -

The issues (water shortages) have been around with the desert southwest for decades. 1980, the Groundwater Management Act, came about because of this type of discussion.

If the Colorado dries up - I would suggest to you, that Arizona is not the only area is deep doo doo - Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, California -

The Pacific Ocean, and de-salination, is one of the largest possibilities on the horizon right now.

Water conservation is necessary

Water panic is not necessary

[gregandvicky]

This post was not for panic purposes, just for information purposes

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Greatday

Look - the CAP is primarily, not totally, to provide water to Tucson.

The Valley uses two main sources for water: Groundwater (aquafirs) and Surfaces Water - the Salt River Project -

The issues (water shortages) have been around with the desert southwest for decades. 1980, the Groundwater Management Act, came about because of this type of discussion.

If the Colorado dries up - I would suggest to you, that Arizona is not the only area is deep doo doo - Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, California -

The Pacific Ocean, and de-salination, is one of the largest possibilities on the horizon right now.

Water conservation is necessary

Water panic is not necessary

The CAP (Colorado River water) delivers relatively little water to Tucson. The major users are in the Phoenix area where nearly 2 million residents and many thousands of acres of farmland receive CAP water or are banking CAP water in exchange for the right to make groundwater withdrawals. SRP supplies only a fraction of the metro area (on the east side). One goal (mandated actually) is to replace groundwater with renewable sources (CAP) of water. You are correct that Phoenix, at least, has vast groundwater reserves. A potential problem though is that many of the wells that tap them have been shut down as CAP water has made them unnecessary. Should CAP water dry up, those wells could be put back in service only at considerable expense and after development of delivery systems connecting them to the water supply systems. Once we begin to rely on groundwater with no renewable sources either for direct use or recharge, we are living on borrowed time - a lot of it maybe but not limitless. Tucson is already in this postion, their withdrawals exceed renewable supplies.

[sweettearose]

This is a little sci-fi but would it be possible to build a large piping system that could pump or bring ocean water to Phoenix and then use desalination plants to clean it?

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by sweettearose

This is a little sci-fi but would it be possible to build a large piping system that could pump or bring ocean water to Phoenix and then use desalination plants to clean it?

Actually, a plan being considered is, pumping Pacific Ocean water, desalinate it, THEN pump it to the areas that need it - Nevada (Las Vegas) is a possible receipent

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Greatday

Actually, a plan being considered is, pumping Pacific Ocean water, desalinate it, THEN pump it to the areas that need it - Nevada (Las Vegas) is a possible receipent

It would make more sense to desalinate at the source. Disposal of the waste products is a problem. The Gila River basin in west Phoenix has large groundwater resources that are too saline for drinking water use. The water table in the west valley is so high in places that this salty water is pumped and dumped to keep it from water-logging fields. This is a potential source of water for desalination, but again, it's a messy business.