Water Resources 101 Using Water In Arizona Limits and Constraint s
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Water Resources 101
Using Water In Arizona
Limits
and
Constr
aints
Water Resources 101
What gets in the way?Laws, rules, regulationsFinding waterRaising money
To buy waterTo build pipes
Politics (not always a bad thing)Building relationships (& sometimes tearing them down)
Water Resources 101
Water
PoliticsMoney
(the easy part)
(this is where things really get interesting)
Time for some fun!
Water Resources 101
What WaterIs It?
Feds:Here To Help?
How FarDo You Go?
200
100
300
200
100
300
200
100
300
F J
Water Resources 101
What are groundwater, surface water, or recovered credits?
Water that gets pumped out of wells.
What Is It for 100
Water Resources 101
Surface water from wells?Water pumped from sub flow of stream is legally
surface waterVerde River: SRPColorado River: accounting surfaceSanta Cruz AMA
Will be decided in Gila adjudicationCourt definitionSan Pedro “subflow” map
How to tell if its subflow?Flow directionChemical composition
Water Resources 101
What Is It for 200
How deep can you pump and still have it count as an assured water supply?
1,000 or 1,200 feet bls
Water Resources 101
Groundwater: not always easier
– Inside AMAs there are limits placed on useConservation requirements and pumping
restrictions fall disproportionately on the municipal sector
Well impact rules– Make drilling wells harder BUT– Keep other folks from sucking the water out from
under youAssured/adequate water supply limits
allowable depth to water both inside and outside of AMAs
Water Resources 101
What Is It for 300
What are water farms? (10 add’l points for each farm you can match with its owner)
Avra Valley, McMullen Valley & Chino Valley
Water Resources 101
Water transfersWater farmsConcerns re local impacts motivated
legislationLimits on pumping groundwater in one place
& using someplace else, except:Chino Valley (Prescott)Harquahala ValleyButler Valley (State Land Dept)McMullen Valley (Phoenix)
Water Resources 101
Water farms
Water Resources 101
Here To Help? for 100
What are endangered species?
Pygmy owl, willow flycatcher, pima pineapple cactus, razorback sucker
Water Resources 101
Endangered Species Act Need to look @ it any time there is a Federal
agency (Corps, Bureau) involvedCan’t harm endangered species
or the habitat they live inLeave the water where it isBuy habitat for species to live onSpend $$ funding Federal research programs
Water Resources 101
Salt & Verde River HCPs(“habitat conservation plans”)Roosevelt Dam expansion (Salt River)
Endangered birdTook 18 months to resolveCost: $19.5 million
Purchase land in San Pedro River basin Fund monitoring program @ Roosevelt Lake Fund USFWS research
Horseshoe Dam (Verde River)Endangered birds & fishFive years to completeCost: $8.8 million
Water Resources 101
Colorado River MSCP(“Multi-Species Conservation Program”) Long-term protection allowing
the use of Colorado River water in AZ, CA, and NV
Funded by Federal gvt & AZ, CA, and NV(Arizona share = $1.5 million
annually) Covers Colorado River from
Lake Mead to Mexico 50 years to complete Create 8,100 acres of habitat Total Cost: over $600 million
Water Resources 101
Here To Help? for 200
What are Waters of the United States?
Oak Creek, the Salt River, Canada del Oro Wash
Water Resources 101
Clean Water ActApplies to “Waters of the US”
East Coast = wet = doesn’t work here very well
Anything that is a stream or is ‘tributary’ to a stream
(Yes – this is a “tributary”….)
Water Resources 101
Permits & more permitsDischarge permits
NPDES – EPA; AZPDES - ADEQ
Wastewater plantsWell development &
startupSection 404 permits
Dredge & fill in stream beds Power poles River crossings
Water Resources 101
Here To Help? for 300
What are some ways to get rid of arsenic in a well?
Blending plans, iron media, turn it off
Water Resources 101
Safe Drinking Water ActArsenicDBPs / TTHMSalinityFluorideNitrateTurbidity / Total coliformGroundwater ruleAnd more coming every
day
Water Resources 101
Water Resources 101
How Far for 100
What is nearly 1,500 feet?
How deep Flagstaff has to drill a well to find water.
Water Resources 101
Finding (& keeping) new water
(there’s not too much these days & everybody wants it)
Water Resources 101
Where is it?Surface water available only in limited areas
All appropriated or allocated Salt/Verde: surface water diversions/rights Colorado River: AZ allocation fully contracted
Indian water rights claims settled, or not
Groundwater – getting harder to use (need to go deeper, quality issues, restrictions)
Remote supplies, if available, are expensive and hard to get at
Reclaimed water – infrastructure, treatment, and acceptance
Water Resources 101
How Far for 200
What are some ways to pay for water projects?
Rates, fees, bonds, Feds
Water Resources 101
Cost of water & infrastructure
Climate change legislation will make power & water more expensive
Materials (steel, concrete) cost moreMore competition for increasingly limited
resourcesSo – no small water projects
Water Resources 101
How much?Project Year Amount of
waterTotal Cost
Cost per af
Salt River Project 1955 1.0 million af $10 mil $10 (!)
Central Arizona Project 1987 1.5 million af $4 bil $2,667
Sierra Vista CAP extension prop 30,000 af $217.4 mil $7,246
CC Cragin (Payson) 2010? 3,500 af $30.7 mil $8,771
Northern Arizona Supply study – pref. alternative
prop 20,862 af $652.3 mil $31,267
Note: capital costs only
Water Resources 101
Where’s the money?
Federal funding for big new water projects hard to findLimited stimulus $$ to construct infrastructure
State budget situation means less state money availableNew state-wide taxes not feasible alternative
Water Resources 101
Funding: It’s up to you!Bonding
Requires a dedicated revenue streamMany communities have limited revenue
bonding baseProviding revenue base for bonds
Water impact fees Successful in major urban areas; depends on
continued developmentWater rates
Water Resources 101
Partners: reducing project costsEconomies of scalePartners contribute
$$$ to help fund the projectPolitical connections to get the project approved and
fundedPossible partners
Neighboring water providersGovernmental agencies: mainly FedsPrivate companies
Yes, this is politics!
e.g. Wheel & treat arrangements; regional treatment partnerships; mutual aid agreements
Water Resources 101
How Far for 300
What is climate change?
The newest and biggest water planning constraint looming on the horizon.
Water Resources 101
Climate change = less waterImpact on water resources
Less runoff means less surface waterLess reliable runoff means floodingPotential increase in per capita water demand
Water Resources 101
Climate change = more $$Two-pronged strategy
Mitigation: ‘cap & trade’; use more renewable energy Increases costs – i.e. coal-fired power plants
(Navajo Generating Station & CAP) Solar & wind & hydro: limited existing transmission
networkAdaptation: diversify water supply sources
But where do they come from?
Water Resources 101
FINAL JEOPARDY
What are the best ways to deal with water use limits & constraints in Arizona?
Planning and investing for the future
Water Resources 101
Water
PoliticsMoney
(the easy part)
(this is where things really get interesting)
Wasn’t that fun?
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