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Arizona Department of Water Resources

Sep 27, 2021

Importing water for drought fix huge project

Importing muddy water from the Mississippi River to save Arizona from drought could be as simple as landing a man on the moon.  

(Photo by Ellen O'Brien)
Jan 28, 2020

Arizona’s budget must reflect our water challenges

There’s no doubt that our water challenges are myriad and addressing them will require a range of solutions. But funding the department, returning it to satisfactory staffing levels and providing competitive salaries for employee retention is an essential part of the path forward.

Jan 12, 2020

Groundwater regulation new conflict in water management

Farmers and Gov. Doug Ducey say they are willing to change their stance against government oversight and regulation to protect the state’s dwindling water supply – and they’re willing to let the largest water users write the rules.

(Photo by Ellen O'Brien)
Nov 15, 2019

Panel takes step to secure water supply in Pinal County

In the face of a report that says Pinal County is going dry, a small group of Arizona lawmakers took the first step in helping assure the county has enough groundwater for decades to come and avoid a potential shortfall.

Oct 1, 2019

Next step? Make AZ a strong voice among Colorado River states

It didn’t take long for the completion of the Drought Contingency Plan to create value to Arizona and the Colorado River Basin.

Sep 29, 2019

Pinal County farmers fret over funding for new wells

Small water providers are feeling the pressure to upgrade equipment and infrastructure under terms of the state’s Drought Contingency Plan.

Aug 6, 2019

Arizona’s drought plan offers key lessons for the road ahead

rizona will need to bring the same quality of leadership and creative problem-solving that produced the DCP success story when water stakeholders resume work on the other pillars of a sustainable water future: protecting groundwater in both urban and rural areas, starting the regional process of re-negotiating the 2007 Interim Guidelines, and finding collaborative ways of conserving water while b[...]

Jul 26, 2019

USDA hints loan for groundwater could jeopardize federal funds

The federal government is warning irrigation districts in Pinal County that using a $20 million state loan to drill new wells to replace Colorado River water they are losing as part of the drought contingency plan could cost them.

Feb 17, 2019

Here is what is working in Arizona

The business and private sectors should appreciate the goals of the Ducey administration’s initiative to improve government referred to as the Arizona Management System (AMS), which focuses on understanding “customer” needs, identifying problems, improving processes and measuring results.

The calcium markings on the rock formations in Lake Mead, a Colorado River reservoir, show the impact of a 18-year drought on water levels. If the level drops below 1,025 feet, a state report says Arizona will lose access to 480,000 acre-feet of water from the Colorado River, or enough water for about a million family households for one year. (Photo by Alexis Kuhbander/Cronkite News)
Jan 9, 2019

Legislature to tackle omnibus drought plan bill

State legislators will have mere weeks to pass a complex Colorado River drought plan by Jan. 31 — the deadline imposed by federal officials.

The Hoover Dam and Lake Mead
Nov 30, 2018

$100 million water deal will include $30 million from state, Ducey vows

Gov. Doug Ducey vowed Thursday to work with the state Legislature to allocate $30 million to water mitigation efforts so the state can sign onto a multi-state plan to stabilize water levels in Lake Mead, which could soon face a water shortage.

Oct 29, 2018

Water plan makes shortfalls less painful, but doesn’t abolish them

Much work has been done and much will continue to be done – but the sooner we have the drought-contingency plan in place, the greater the benefits we will all reap via a plan that is acceptable to all Arizona water users.

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