WSP04744

• File Number: 8042.A
• Description: Section "D" General Studies, Other States
• State: AZ
• Date: 6/15/1964
• Author: No Author Found
• Title: The Arizona Watershed Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

The \Varer Problem of Arizona

Ari7.ona'~ skyrocketing population, which is
about two to three times the national average,
is placing ('\"f'r-increasing dpmands on water re-
sources for dome:;;tic and industrial use. irriga-
tion. and recf(.ation. l1w wat(,f tables in prac.
til'ally all of the riWf basin." are h(.ing con-
stantly 100\'ered h.'cause' d{>mand is far in ex-
('('ss of 8vailahll' supply. \r('lIs :Jfe dropping an
average of fl.;; feet per year.
In 1%.1, Arizona llsed 6,nOO.0(X) 8(,ft> f("('t of
wat(,f and 9Or; of this amount was for ifri-
gatPrl lanns. Surface nmoff furnishhl ~.OOO.-
000 acre {foet and pumping from umlf'rground
sllppli('s prm'idpd 4.f){)().0fX1 aCTf' {(.pt. Tlw
nannal :mnunl H'-charge of underground watPf
supplies I!' about l.noo,ooo ant' fl'Pt. so then'
WIlS an ovpnlraft b,..;t y('ar of :1.000.000 ant.
fppt on ground water f('~ern':'". TherP will ~till
he a deficiency of 2,:100,000 acre feet after the
Central Arizona Proj('{'t lwcome" a reality. It
i~ quitf' ("..'ident that till' water !'\ituatioll in
Arizona i~ !'\f'rious ancl tht. ~tat(. mUst find new
water to ~ur\'in'.
Thf' watN I:lhl(' in the Salt Ri\'l'r Valley has
lowered more than .'is f('('l in the last l('n ~'ear~,
In addition to twing: an important ngricultuml
<:pnter, this ;If('8 is the hOO1(, for \\'(.11 O\'er a
half millon rx'opl(' in and nt'ar metropolitan
Phoenix. Ph()('nix population - wi:'"(' jumpC'd
from 9Rth phH'f' ilmong the cities of the UnitC'd
Statl's in Hl,"JJ to 2!lth pJ::W(' in ]!jf}O - a dimb

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un('QuallNl. hy any other major city in the na-
tion.
..\11 of the water maintaining life in the Salt
Rin'r Valley ('om('s from the Salt and Verde
Rivprs. a dminage comprising ahout 8,:120,000
acres of mostly' mountainou~ land with eleva-
tion~ ranging from a low of ahout 1.100 feet at
Phr1f'nix to n high of l1.HOO feet on ~It. Bald....
on the .'\pache :'\ational Fore:'"t. Sixt.... percent
of tile' watf'r producing lands (watershpds) are
within the ?\'ational Forests. Exclusive of the
arahlp land. (l hroad da:'"~ification of the \'ege-
tation typ('~ on the water!'hed would divide
tlwm 3!' follow:,::

De:'"ert ~hruh nnd gmss 21 r;
Chaparral
Pinyon-junip('r
Ponclerosa pine
~lix('d conifer

')-(7'
_:-I ()
21'1,
30n;
3'1,

Annunl precipitation for the!'e type~ \'arit'~
from 1''' in lhp rh'!'erl to :1':;" in the mixed coni.
fer with ahout S;jr; falling during the wintf'r
month." and ..tS(~ in the ,..;ummer.

The {l,S. Fore~t ~er\'i{'e has hl'l>J1 doing re-
!'('arch in wnh'n;tlPrI mnnagement :'"inee 1910.
Protection of ttw water,.;h('d~ and water qual-
it~, on the :'\ational Forests in Arizona will
contimw to Ill' a primary ohjt.ctin' with water
yit'ld~ rcct'iying major considpration in ~lulti-
plt. U!'(' ~tanagement planning and practices.

PUMPING EFFECT ON GROUND WATER
SALT RIVER VALLEY WATER USERS ASSN.

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