Rectangular ponds(?) near Desert Museum (Tucson, Sierra Vista: high crime, live in, storage)

[FrankInPhilly]

Maybe this question will elicit a "duh!" response from you desert dwellers (I live in Philly), but I've got to know - when my wife and I were visiting the Desert Museum we saw about a half-dozen rectangular, presumably water-filled shapes maybe 5 miles due west: Google Maps

What are these? Some one told me it was a reservoir, but I'm skeptical, especially since it wasn't labeled as such on the map.

Unrelated: we loved your city, thought the Desert Museum alone was worth the trip, found everyone to be friendly, and were amused (didn't have the right to be appalled) by your governor's finger-pointing social skills.

[rbohm]

they could be reservoirs for recharging the aquifer with CAP project water.

as for our governor, she is quite feisty when she wants to be.

[robabeatle]

rbohm has it right. i heard that they are adding more as well.

[FrankInPhilly]

Thanks for your replies. I skimmed some of the CAP web site (history, FAQ, ...) and between that and our 5 days in AZ now have a greater appreciation of life "out West" - water issues, immigration, drugs (we saw Fat Albert hovering above Sierra Vista) - it's like being on another planet(!) Of course, you'd think the same thing about Philly: way high crime rate, too much water (record rainfall and flooding last year), arguments about the extent of deer culling within the city limits (really). Have a look at City-Data's Philly pages some time.

[ExNooYawk]

We were just at the Desert Museum and wondered about those patches of water in the distance. Thanks for the clarification, all.

[tumamoc]

That's the Central Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project (CAVSARP).

[coatimundi]

I've actually explained to people a few times at the Desert Museum what those were. It's not like I stood around waiting or even just randomly telling people about it, they all asked. They should probably put up a sign explaining it.
Tucson Water used to offer public tours of the Avra Valley recharge facility. They scaled back because of City funding cuts, but they still do a few public tours on request. Public Water Project Tours | The Official Website for the City of Tucson, Arizona

[Jukesgrrl]

FrankInPhilly, thanks for visiting. I have a very high opinion of Philadelphia. History, culture, amazing food, great sports teams, and cool people not afraid to share their opinions. The SureKill Expressway could use some work and it's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, but nothing's perfect.

If you'd like to learn more about our water issues, check out this website with information from one of the world's leading experts in water rights, who is a professor at the U of A. http://rglennon.com/

Come see us again. Cheers!