Arizona Archives

State Shares Framework for New Surface Water Quality Protections

November 10, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Arizona Public Mediaby Ariana Brocious

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is beginning to draft a set of regulations to protect surface water following the Trump administration’s rollback of the Clean Water Act.

The changes that took effect in June significantly narrow the list of waters that receive federal protection from pollution and contaminants, known as “waters of the U.S.” or the acronym “WOTUS.” And that leaves a big regulatory gap in Arizona, which currently has no surface water protection program.

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Despite Dry Monsoon Season, Reservoirs Still Full

September 22, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /ABC 15 Arizonaby Jamie Warren

This summer, the Valley saw only two days of rain — the lowest number of days ever on record.

As we head into fall, ABC15 spoke with Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources Tom Buschatzke about what impact the dry monsoon will have on the state’s reservoirs.

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Arizona Endorses a Company’s Plan to Sell Colorado River Water to Queen Creek

September 8, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Arizona Republicby Ian James

Arizona’s top water regulator has endorsed a company’s proposal to take water from farmland near the Colorado River and sell it to the fast-growing Phoenix suburb of Queen Creek.

The plan, which still would require federal approval, has generated a heated debate about whether transferring water away from the farming community of Cibola could harm the local economy, and whether the deal would open the gates for more companies to buy land near the river with the sole aim of selling off the water for profit.

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‘The Pie Keeps Shrinking’: Lake Mead’s Low Level Will Trigger Water Cutbacks for Arizona, Nevada

August 17, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Arizona Republicby Ian James

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again receive less water from the Colorado River next year under a set of agreements intended to help boost the level of Lake Mead, which now stands at just 40% of its full capacity.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation released projections on Friday showing that Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, will be at levels next year that continue to trigger moderate cutbacks in the two U.S. states and Mexico.

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Border Wall Water Use Threatens Endangered Species, Environmentalists Say

August 12, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Hillby Rachel Frazin

A government assessment recently obtained by an environmental group appears to link a well the group says is used in U.S.-Mexico border wall construction to low water levels in wildlife habitats at an Arizona refuge with endangered species.

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Sacred Arizona Spring Drying Up as Border Wall Construction Continues

July 21, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /National Geographicby Douglas Main

Midway down a cactus-covered hill in one of the driest parts of Arizona is a miracle: a spring. Water continually streams out of the ground, down a small channel, and into a pond.

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Imperial Irrigation District Seeks Salton Sea Consideration In Lawsuit Over Colorado River Water

July 15, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Mark Olalde

The Imperial Irrigation District has filed its opening brief in a case against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California that it launched last year in an attempt to halt the implementation of the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan for the Colorado River. IID wants to see it paused until the Salton Sea is also considered.

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Opinion: Arizona Water Blueprint Aids Informed Water Planning

July 2, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Arizona Capitol Timesby Sarah Porter and Susan Craig

Water is Arizona’s most precious natural resource. Yet, despite its importance, few Arizonans actually understand where their water is sourced.

If someone asked you to identify Arizona’s three major water sources, could you name them? Could you explain why tens of thousands of Arizonans don’t have certainty about their long-term water supplies?

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For Now, No Border Wall For Arizona Tribe’s Colorado River Stretch

June 16, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /KUNC Coloradoby Alisa Reznick

President Trump’s wall now stretches along 200 miles of U.S.-Mexico borderland. Progress hasn’t slowed during the coronavirus pandemic; in some places it’s even accelerating. But there’s a tiny swath of tribal land on the Colorado River where that’s not the case.

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