Senate President Karen Fann gave us an update on what we will [], Copyright 2016 | WeMAR Government Affairs. The US Bureau of Reclamation declared a Tier 2a Shortage for the Colorado River in 2023 with its August 24-Month Study publication. Officials didnt want to give up the precious resource and were concerned that California could move to claim the unused portion in federal court. This shortage is a reduction in the amount of water that can be used from the Colorado River and is part of a broader plan to protect the overall health of the Colorado River system. Our readers include residents, business owners, water wonks, elected officials, and journalistspretty much anyone who cares about water. But Irwin argues if this one water transfer is allowed, it will open the door to many other large investment firms buying up the land and water rights in her community. Beyond that, there needs to be an overhaul of sustainable farming practices in the industry as well the state is the leading producers of cotton, lettuce and hay with cattle and dairy being the top agricultural products. AMWUA cities will continue to receive their Colorado River supplies in a Tier 1 Shortage and access other water sources, including Salt & Verde River water, reclaimed water, and groundwater. President Joe Biden signed legislation earlier this month giving leasing authority to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, whose reservation tracks its namesake on the Arizona-California border. LAKE POWELL, UTAH - JUNE 24: The tall bleached "bathtub ring" is visible on the rocky banks of Lake Powell on June 24, 2021 in Lake Powell, Utah. to find new sources of water over the next three years and to partner with other states on desalination plants. Over the same period, the state has recorded 6.2 more days that are above 110F (43C), which translates to significantly more danger days where residents are more likely to succumb to heat-related health issues and deaths. But they would be much bigger than the cuts we are suffering right now.. Water buffalos the experts, wonks and gadflies of the water worldin Valley city halls say the impending shortage isnt solely to blame for the increases. This declaration of cutbacks in water deliveries was in accordance with established Colorado River operating criteria. The plan shows the various lakes in the upper and lower basin systems, the amount of water in each lake as of September 2020, and the system storage capacity and amounts. Reclamation says more cuts are needed. You can also read more about the basics of Arizona Water in the WeSERV Water Issues Task force flyer Water in Arizona Is My Property in an AMA or INA? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The water deliveries will provide the lake with up to 181,000 acre-feet of water by the end of 2021. Now were in that situation where were transitioning, Virginia OConnell, the manager of the Arizona Water Banking Authority, recently said in an interview. You will also find maps for NOAAs (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Climate Prediction Center monthly and seasonal drought outlook by county and historical conditions going back to 2000 in the Historical Water Watcher and going back to 1846 at the Global Historical Climatology Network site. We promise, no spam! Decreasing the River's demand today will protect the River's future, benefiting everyone. News never stops. That includes the nearly 4 million tallied by the Water Bank. This water needs to remain here it was meant to remain here for future development., The West's megadrought will persist and may get worse in coming months. Protecting & enhancing Arizonas water supplies for current and future generations. Prior to DCP, Arizona water users voluntarily conserved a portion of the States allocation in Lake Mead. You might also like: Lake Mead and Colorado River Basin Water Shortage: Causes, Effects, and Policy Solutions. I dont necessarily see excess water being available again in the future. WHAT DOES THE 2022 TIER 1 SHORTAGE MEAN FOR AMWUA A spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Water Resources noted that other entities, whether private or publicly operated, have stored in excess of 13 million acre-feet of water. Central Arizona agricultural users have the lowest CAP priority, and therefore will face the brunt of the Tier 1 Shortage reductions. We have that resource available to us, he said, as well as billions of dollars available to us for things like recycling, augmentation and other solutions that may be on the table.. Due to its dry desert climate, Arizona is home to some of the worlds most stunning and unique landscapes, from the Red Rock State Park and the iconic Grand Canyon. Municipalities and tribes have the highest CAP priority and will not face water reductions in 2022. One acre-foot is enough water for three average Phoenix households for one year. Farmers therefore will be impacted first (and most) by the ongoing water shortage declaration, forcing them to take conservation measures including fallowing land where a portion of cropland cannot be planted for an entire season. Current increases in metro Phoenix break down like this: City leaders wont have to worry about losing their Colorado River water next year, but more extreme shortages could hit closer to home. Meredith Deangelis lives in the community, and the thought of losing access to water keeps her up at night. Tribes often trade potentially huge water claims for the promise of federal funding to deliver water to their citizens. How have the cities prepared for a Tier 2a Shortage? Now that it is here, what does it mean, and how does it impact Arizona and the AMWUA cities? These adjustments require time for planning, stretching their existing workforce, and a significant amount of money from already set budgets for 2023. Lake Mead's drop is the result of an ongoing megadrought that's persisted for 22 years. Instead of potentially ceding those flows to California, the state opened a kind of liquid piggy bank, storing away a share of its water for an uncertain future. Now it seems, Arizona water cutbacks will begin in January 2022. The Colorado River has been a go-to source of water for cities, tribes and farmers in the West for decades. State lawmakers passed a measure last year to allow local municipalities to use their own infrastructure to pump groundwater, a process known as independent recovery, to deliver to their customers. We are basically just an entity that stores water. Arizona should also consider restricting municipal water consumption, such as outdoor watering and irrigation, akin to measures implemented in Las Vegas, as well as ways to increase the share of recycled and reclaimed water. As part of DCP, Arizona formalized the already existing practice of water users conserving a portion of the Lake Mead allocation. Gunsight Butte (right at Lake Powell as seen on ), Feb. 3, 2022. Discovery Company. Temperatures in Arizona have been steadily rising with average summer temperatures now 1.8F (1C) higher compared to 1970 levels. In the first year of operations, the Arizona Water Banking Authority set aside 300,000 acre-feet of water. A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Those recharge basins can vary significantly in size. Flores suggested the leases wont be as long as the 50-year terms that the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs offered for farming on the tribes reservation. Unfortunately, the States failed to produce a viable plan by the deadline. For alternative water sources, there has been discussions of pumping floodwaters from the Mississippi River basin to either Colorados Front Range or to New Mexicos Rio Grande. Since the beginning of 2022, Arizona has been in a Tier 1 shortage condition, which has required Arizona to leave 512,000 acre feet of its annual 2.8 million acre-foot allocation in Lake Mead. Several hundred residents are now using up the last of the Scottsdale water that haulers delivered in late December to the 5,000-gallon (18,950-liter) tanks buried in their yards, but said at a public gathering last week they expect it will dry up soon. 7:01 AM EDT, Wed March 30, 2022. Lake Mead is the reservoir that supplies Arizonas water from the Colorado River. The potential for falling below the minimum power pool increases to 25 to 35% beyond 2022. The fourth-priority was only part of the whole negotiations, and we walked into it with our heads held up high because at least its water, said former Hualapai Chairman Damon Clarke. Several hundred residents are now using up the last of One of the provisions was a plan by the lower basin states and Mexico to share in water cutbacks, if needed, between 2020 and 2026. CAP and ADWR authored a Colorado River Shortage Fact Sheet you can read for more information, but here are the highlights: Arizona will have a substantial cut to its Colorado River water allocation with the bulk of the cuts falling on Central Arizona agriculture water users. One major challenge to recovery, she said, is where the water storage facilities are located in relation to the cities looking to extract their water. Over the same period, the state has recorded 6.2 more days that are above 110F (43C), which translates to significantly more danger days where residents are more likely to succumb to heat-related health issues and deaths. This is a life-changing moment for the Hualapai Tribe and the many members of the Tribal Council who have worked toward this goal for more than a decade, tribal Vice Chairman Scott Crozier said in a statement Thursday. Reach reporter Joshua Bowling atjbowling@azcentral.comor 602-444-8138. To print or save this week's blog, a PDF version is available HERE. The AMWUA cities have committed resources to support this plan that includes sending water to Central Arizona farms. Colorado River Cities 69736208007 An acre-foot is equal to 326,000 gallons of water. Who are impacted most by the water shortage and what are the policy solutions being implemented and considered? In general,housing and development use less water than agriculture. But experts predict that water levels in Lake Mead will not likely recover soon amid current global warming projections and aridity. Flores said the tribe will work with its farm managers and talk to the community to determine the amount of water that can be leased, the price for the water and the length of the leases. The bank also holds 613,000 acre-feet of water credits for Nevada, under an agreement with the Silver State to store a portion of its Colorado River water. The federal government has approved about 40 such settlements with tribes, some of which include more than one tribe. A Julyreport from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamationsays Lake Mead, which is the nations largest reservoir, is just 35% full at nearly 1,068 feet above sea level. Hundreds of homes here get water trucked in from Scottsdale, but those deliveries will end on January 1, 2023. It hasnt gained traction, but many cities use indirect potable reuse which involves capturing the water that goes down your drain andtreating it for non-drinking purposes, such as landscaping. Grady Gammage, an attorney representing the Greenstone investment firm, told CNN that the water can be transferred to wherever the owner chooses. Arizona in 2018opened the door for cities to use direct potable reuse, also known as toilet-to-tap, a term that makes its advocates wince. Crunden | 01/17/2023 01:16 PM EST, By Robin Bravender | 01/17/2023 01:16 PM EST, By Hannah Northey | 01/13/2023 01:25 PM EST. Sign up to get breaking news and information about Arizonas water industry! Should surface levels at Lake Mead descend to below 1,060 feet by the beginning of 2023, the amount Arizona may have to leave in the reservoir may increase to 592,000 acre feet.Weve done lots of (voluntary) conservation in Lake Mead, both recently and probably staring in about 2014, he said. to either Colorados Front Range or to New Mexicos Rio Grande. It doesnt somehow default to communities on the river if it isnt transferred, Gammage said in an email. AMWUA (Arizona Municipal Water Users Association), 3003 N. Central Ave., Suite 1550, Phoenix, AZ 85012, 2023 Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. One of the provisions was a plan by the lower basin states and Mexico to share in water cutbacks, if needed, between 2020 and 2026. A statement from ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke and CAP General Manager Ted Cooke in response to the U.S. Department of the Interior announcement of actions to protect the Colorado River system and 2023 Operating Conditions for Lake Powell and Lake Mead is available HERE. 2. What impact will those additional reductions have on the cities? From the latter, water could then be pumped to the Gila Rivers headwaters and flow to Phoenix in Arizona. But to build such a pipe would cost USD$8.6 billion, and potentially raise water prices from less than $200 for an acre-foot to $1,700. All rights reserved. Arizona also needs to rapidly invest and diversify its water sources. Already, the tribe has committed to leaving water in Lake Mead the largest human-made reservoir in the U.S. West to help ensure Hoover Dam can continue generating power and deliver water to Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico in the lower Colorado River basin. FILE - In this July 16, 2014 file photo, what was once a marina sits high and dry due to Lake Mead receding in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona. As of May 2022, Lake Mead water levels are. Republic reporter Taylor Seely contributed to this report. They also will determine how much water can be released from the banks savings. When the state began operating the banking authority in 1997, Arizona wasnt using its full allocation of Colorado River water, which amounts to 2.8 million acre-feet annually. Theres no silver bullet in tackling the water shortage situation in Arizona, but until the US and the world manages to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change and therefore drought conditions the state cannot rely on the same water supplies and keep business as usual. The tribe has the right to divert more than 662,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water in Arizona but hasnt taken full advantage because it lacks the infrastructure. If a Tier 3 shortage occurs, Arizona would have to give up 720,000 acre-feet of its apportionment, which would restrict water usage in municipalities. In addition to declaring the Tier 2a Shortage, Reclamation reiterated that even further reductions will be needed in 2023 since the current framework is not doing enough to protect the River. On August 16, 2021, the United States Bureau of Reclamation announced a Tier 1 Shortage to go into effect on January 1, 2022. In Arizona amid a decades-long megadrought some communities are facing the very real possibility of losing access to the precious water that remains. But as the climate crisis continues to intensify, Arizona has been embattled with a myriad of issues, chief among them being the increasing threat of water shortage and scarcity. Arizonas population growth and extreme drought have increased demand for water in limited supply. A shortage on the Colorado River does not mean there will be a shortage at your tap. Legislative Update April 2019 and Association Health Plans, Queen Creek Economic Development Bus Tour, REALTOR Day at the Capitol 2020: What to Look for this Legislative Session. The Arizona water shortage 2021 is just the beginning of an ongoing crisis in the region, as climate change-induced droughts and heatwaves have driven water levels at Lake Mead and the Colorado River to plummet. Greenstone, a Phoenix-based investment firm, bought nearly 500 acres with the intent to sell the lands water allotment to Queen Creek, a growing Phoenix suburb about 200 miles away. WHAT DOES THE 2022 TIER 1 SHORTAGE MEAN FOR AMWUA CITIES AND RESIDENTS? Under the current framework for managing the River, the August 24-Month Study determines what level of shortage the River will be in based on the projected levels of Lake Mead for January of the following year. Still, the tribe called Bidens signature a historic step for the Hualapai people, whose reservation borders a 108-mile (174-kilometer) stretch of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Lake Powell was at 26% of capacity, 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level at the time. Finally, Tier 3 is triggered if Lake Mead falls below 1,025 ft., in which case Arizona must cut its river water supply by 480,000 AF. The likelihood of a Tier 3 shortage has drastically increased since the original DCP was created in 2007. The region has suffered from a long-term drought, and Lake Mead water levels have declined significantly over the past two decades. The ten AMWUA cities will continue to plan and prepare even amidst uncertainty while waiting for Reclamation to make a decision. Now, we continue to wait and see if the States can devise such a plan. A power pool is two or more interconnected electrical systems that operate a single system to generate power, according to the Bureau of Reclamation glossary. According to Kathleen Ferris, a senior research fellow with the Kyl Center for Water Policy in Arizona, water scarcity in the state has resulted in the haves and the have nots, and described the coming water competition could potentially be like the Wild West. Explaining Arizona waterthe issues, policies, management strategies, drought, conservation, and stewardship. Arizona also needs to rapidly invest and diversify its water sources. Based on 2017 statistics, the total statewide water use was approximately 7 million acre-feet, in which 72% was used for agricultural purposes, 22% for municipal use while the remaining 6% was used for industries. Facing the very real possibility of losing access to water keeps her at... Drought have increased demand for water in limited supply does not mean there will be a on. 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