Guidance for readers:

The left menu describes our water resource, how it is threatened, and what we must do to protect it. To see the definition of a term, hover the cursor over a dotted underlined word.  For a more detailed explanation, click on blue text links.

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OUR WATER SUPPLY IS THREATENED

Scientific Evidence Demands Concern

We see two main challenges facing sustainable water management:

• Our groundwater supplies are being depleted at an alarming rate. Municipalities and others are pumping too much of our limited groundwater, and some wells have already gone dry. 
• Excessive groundwater pumping is reducing the flow of the upper Verde River.

Scientists cannot tell us exactly how long our water will last because estimates of the amount of economically recoverable groundwater are uncertain. See “How Long Will Our Water Last.” 

Faster population growth, helped by our government officials, is depleting our water supply even more. See “Water Shortage.”

• Each new house or building, no matter how efficient it is, inside and outside, locks in water usage for the next 50 years or more.
• Current water policies in our cities and towns and the county are hastening the onset of water shortages. 

If current trends continue, the consequences of water shortages are severe (see Consequences).

• More and more rural areas will become unlivable as water levels drop. 
• Municipalities will face enormous costs to replace the groundwater they have used up.
• The environmental and economic costs of the loss of the base flow of the Verde River will be immeasurable.

We need to counter the forces working to deplete our water supply (see Actions for a Sustainable Future).

• Our local and regional officials must acknowledge our water supply challenges and work together to prepare plans for a sustainable water future.
• Starting today, we need to greatly increase conservation efforts.
• All new developments should be required to be designed to be water-neutral. See “Net Zero Groundwater Subdivisions” [when available]

As citizens, we should take personal responsibility and do our best to conserve water. We should also contact our current government officials and explain why current water management policies are not sustainable (see Call To Action for some talking points). And, at election time, we can support those candidates who promise to work to protect our water supply and the upper Verde River.

 Updated September 20, 2021