Do You Think Phoenix Will Experience A Water Shortage Within Next Decade Or Two? (Tucson: agriculture)

[sunshinecities]

I've read a lot in newspapers and reputable on-line sites about so many people coming into Phoenix. This will mean more water is necessary - and the future did not look too promising in terms of acquiring more water without rationing etc. It seemed the next 10 years were ok but after that things might get tricky. What are your thoughts on this?

[Ponderosa]

Nope. Because of topography and hydro-geology (and the Central AZ Project) Phoenix is unique among Arizona cities in having many options in meeting its water needs. There is ample water for double the population for many decades.

I do think that water will become a limiting factor in Arizona outside of Phoenix area though. Tucson will eventually have to limit new development, for example.

[rambrush]

Phoenix thought ahead and bought ranches and property around the state for the water rights, plus as posted the CAP canal brings a supply in as well.

[sheena]

Originally Posted by sunshinecities

I've read a lot in newspapers and reputable on-line sites about so many people coming into Phoenix. This will mean more water is necessary - and the future did not look too promising in terms of acquiring more water without rationing etc. It seemed the next 10 years were ok but after that things might get tricky. What are your thoughts on this?

I don't think it will have a water shortage, I think it's a bunch of hype.

[Nice Nice Baby!]

If you read the same paper I read(Arizona Republic), then you may recall the articles that inform the public that every year for the past many, Arizona stores their excess share allotted to them from the Colorado River into a "bank", or underground reservoirs beneath the river beds. You can see this along the Salt River by Mesa. AZ has been stockpiling for years, and in many parts of the valley the water table has been rising due to the farmers selling land to developers. Agriculture uses much more water than housing and AZ has always had the best farming land in the world because you can grow year round and more crops in a shorter period of time. Also, Arizona politics has secured our water supply for years to come. Thank your previous and current legislators for this. We are the largest state by land area of any Colorado River user. Our major competition is the Native American tribes for water rights. The folks who have to worry about this sooner are those in the northern rural and mountainous region. Sometimes they have to dig deep for water and then it isn't always much to before they are digging again. The communities lying in Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima county have little to worry about for at least a hundred years. The cost will be higher, but not as steeply increased as the rest of the southwest.