Matt Clark
AZ Central: Recent UA study confirms ...

“Groundwater pumping has caused stream flow in U.S. rivers to decline by as much as half over the last century, according to new research by a University of Arizona hydrologist that strengthens the connection between groundwater and surface water. 

The research confirms that groundwater losses, primarily due to pumping water from below the surface for agricultural and municipal uses, decrease the overall surface water supply and have caused some smaller streams to dry up. This has a downstream effect that influences water levels far beyond the groundwater pumping location.” 

Matt Clark
AZ Central: It's one of Arizona's most precious ...

“That’s one of the reasons why we’re losing the San Pedro. That’s one of the reasons why we’re going to lose the Verde. Because they keep permitting all these wells, knowing they’re connected to the surface water, but they don’t consider it,” Silver said. “This is the quandary that we’re having in Arizona right now, is we have no protection for our surface waters. Unless there is a direct diversion, our surface waters are screwed. And we have almost none left.”

Scientists share these concerns and say the state’s remaining riparian areas are at risk. Katharine Jacobs, director of the University of Arizona’s Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions, said aquifers should be managed to protect riparian areas that depend on groundwater.

“There actually is very little protection for water-dependent natural environments in Arizona,” Jacobs said. “Arizona is really behind other states in that regard.”

Conservation groups have repeatedly advocated for legislation that would add protection for “ecological water” in streams, but for the past two years, these bills have died without being heard.

One court case that could have far-reaching effects focuses on the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, which was established by Congress in 1988 and includes about 40 miles of the river from the U.S.-Mexico border to St. David.

Lawyers for the federal Bureau of Land Management are seeking a set quantity of groundwater and surface water that they say is needed for the conservation area. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge could issue a decision on these federal water rights sometime next year.

AZ Central: It's one of Arizona's most precious rivers. Hundreds of new wells may leave it running dry

Recycled water revives the Santa Cruz River ecosystem

Bogan and others view Tucson’s success in bringing back this flowing portion of the Santa Cruz as a model and an example that other cities can apply to help desert rivers flow and sustain habitats in the face of the climate crisis.

Once a Rich, Desert River, the Gila Struggles to Keep Flowing

“The Gila was once a vibrant desert river, providing a lifeline for the riparian habitat and wildlife that depended on it in the U.S. Southwest. But population growth, agricultural withdrawals, and, increasingly, climate change have badly diminished the river and threaten its future.” Jim Robbins

6/21/21 Day Zero On the Colorado River

“Glen Canyon Dam is the dinosaur of the dam world,” said Dan Beard, former Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. “We need to prepare for unprecedented low flow conditions on the Colorado River in the coming years that would drain Lake Powell. The time has come for the dam to be decommissioned and torn down.”

6-11-21 Lake Mead Fall to record Low-Level, a milestone in Colorado River Crisis

The heart of the issue, Udall said, may be developing new ways of quickly adapting to a river that’s yielding less water as the West grows hotter and drier. “We may need to take this next big step, which is how do you permanently reduce demands?” Udall said.

Southwest Braces for Water Cutbacks as Drought Deepens Along CO River

“Unrelenting drought and years of rising temperatures due to climate change are pushing the long-overallocated Colorado River into new territory, setting the stage for the largest mandatory water cutbacks to date.”