There have been several news articles recently about climate change and its negative effects on water supplies in the Southwest. Most notable is a study by California’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Scripps researchers say that by 2050 the Colorado River flow could be cut in half due to human-caused climate change and lack of predictability of precipitation.
Some Arizona water experts believe the Scripps research is broad in scope and doesn’t provide enough detail on specific geographic areas. Arizona studies must be done to better determine the local impacts of climate change as it relates to the Colorado River.
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CAP would be the first to lose water in the event that the Secretary of the Interior would designate a shortage on the river. Water officials are taking nothing for granted and are planning for shortages due to climate variability. CAP Board member Sharon Megdal, of the University of Arizona Water Research Center, says we must plan more for uncertainties than we have in the past.
Tucson has an adequate water supply that must be closely monitored for usage and future demand. Christopher Avery, chief counsel for Tucson Water, says Tucsonans have done a good job of conserving water. We are presently using 117,000 acre feet of water, the same amount of water served in 1998. (One acre foot equals 326,000 gallons of water, generally the amount of water a family of four would use in a year.) The downturn in the Tucson economy has also played a role in less water usage due to foreclosures and a halt in development.
Tucson is committed to taking the city’s full allocation of CAP water by 2012 and recharging it and storing it in Avra Valley. Megdal sees this storage of water as a good approach because it provides supply assurance in times of drought. She notes that even if the Secretary of Interior declared a shortage, Tucson would not notice it right away. Agriculture has a lower CAP water priority than municipal water customers, and in the case of a shortage, the water would be reallocated to municipal utilities.
CAP staff are looking at augmentation practices such as cloud seeding and removing water intensive vegetation along the canal to enhance the river water supply. Tucson Water’s Avery says Tucson is in a good position because of our water storage projects, good planning, and we have a vast amount of groundwater credits. Also there is evidence of incidental recharge (replenishment) of our aquifer. However, the water augmentation could be another possible supply for us.
We are working with others in Maricopa and Pinal Counties to acquire, develop, and distribute unallocated water along the Colorado River as well as water from Indian Water Rights Settlements that may be on the market. There is a concern among business groups that we make this a collaborative effort rather than a power grab so that all entities in the state benefit.
It is essential that we view water as a precious commodity; warnings about climate variability and its effects on water supplies are a great opportunity for Tucson Water and other water purveyors to better plan for all eventualities so far as water supplies and demands are concerned. Our community will continue to thrive as long as we insist upon careful planning and collaboration for a long-term water supply.
Contact Carol West at cwwfoster@aol.com. West served on the Tucson City Council from 1999-2007 and before that worked as a council aide from 1987-1995.
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