Is Arizona affected by the drought? (Phoenix, Tucson: to live in, agriculture, trains)

[PROFILE CLIMB]

California has a bad one and it's predicted to get worse as they don't know how to capture rain water or build desalination plants to supply the growing population, but they can build crazy trains to nowhere.i was wondering if Arizona has a drought problem as well.

[ajonesaz]

Nothing like California. Arizona uses water more wisely and has built smart infrastructure unlike CA. We live in the desert, so we always need to live in the mindset of the existence of a drought.

[Potential_Landlord]

Plus we depend more on Colorado water and our northern Arizona rivers / dams. The rains and water situation there has been ok.

[JGMotorsport64]

California has an extreme problem that directly affects us. Because of their extreme problem we have been pulling our full CAP allotment (not necessarily using) and pumping into a very large underground water reserve. The rationale is simple, why would we take any less, CA would take it from us. We have enough groundwater to last 6 years sans any rain or surface water. If CAP is cut from us (and we take the brunt because of CAP) then agriculture feels the initial brunt, a persistent drought would affect cities that rely on CAP to extents for their own water (Phoenix fringes, Tucson, Pinal County). Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler can be supported by SRP alone so those areas will be fine if a persistent drought continues.

Tucson doesn't have a lot of surface water and was mining groundwater for decades prior to CAP nearly depleting its underground supplies. It has replenished some of them using reclaimed water from the International Sewage Plant in Rio Rico and well as CAP recharging.

If Lake Mead falls below 1075 we take a brunt of cuts
If Lake Mead falls below 1025 then negotiations begin.

In the meantime we do NOT use our water as efficiently as California on a water per user basis but we are getting better at it.

In short, if a persistent drought occurs, some areas will be fine, others will not.

The real concern will begin with Las Vegas who seems to be in the most dire situation.

[Ponderosa]

We've had a few dry years, but they have been interspersed with some normal to wet ones. That has been sufficient for Arizona to avoid the crisis in California. There are no water restrictions in the main population areas of Arizona and the state is, overall, not in a serious drought condition. Everything else about what will happen "if" is just speculation. Western water is and will always be a feast or famine environment. The feasts are short and the famines long. That's why we build reservoirs and why the reservoirs drop low and rise high. The latter can happen very quickly.

[stevek64]

With this several day rain system coming into the valley and much of the state, flood watches, etc., should do nice things for our reservoirs.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by stevek64

With this several day rain system coming into the valley and much of the state, flood watches, etc., should do nice things for our reservoirs.

Looks like a bust again.

[goolsbyjazz]

What drought? JK! ;-)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by stevek64

With this several day rain system coming into the valley and much of the state, flood watches, etc., should do nice things for our reservoirs.

From the latest NWS discussion:

THE THREAT OF WIDESPREAD AND HEAVY TROPICAL
RAIN IS OVER. THE PASSING TROPICAL DEPRESSION FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA
TOOK A TURN TO THE EAST...MISSING FORECAST TRAJECTORIES BY 60 TO 100
MILES EAST OF SOUTH CENTRAL AZ.

I was going to spread some fertilizer around in hopes of a good soaking, but thought back on just how many times the weather service got similar things wrong and decided to forego it. That turned out to be a good decision. Turn those sprinkler timers back on. In the Phoenix area, you can never believe it's going to rain until after you actually see it.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

From the latest NWS discussion:

THE THREAT OF WIDESPREAD AND HEAVY TROPICAL
RAIN IS OVER. THE PASSING TROPICAL DEPRESSION FROM BAJA CALIFORNIA
TOOK A TURN TO THE EAST...MISSING FORECAST TRAJECTORIES BY 60 TO 100
MILES EAST OF SOUTH CENTRAL AZ.

I was going to spread some fertilizer around in hopes of a good soaking, but thought back on just how many times the weather service got similar things wrong and decided to forego it. That turned out to be a good decision. Turn those sprinkler timers back on. In the Phoenix area, you can never believe it's going to rain until after you actually see it.

Heard they got heavy rain in Tubac... so it must have made that right turn right about there....That said, I'm not finding what you found on NWS. Not going to worry about it one way or the other.