Phoenix is the second-fastest growing city in the United States and already the fifth largest. The population of Phoenix increased more than 34 percent in just the past decade. The climate is great, the people friendly, and the quality of life seems quite high. Unfortunately, from a water perspective, the city is totally unsustainable.Phoenix obtains most of its drinking water from the Salt, Verde, and Colorado Rivers. The Colorado River water is channeled to Phoenix through a canal system called the Central Arizona Project (CAP), which also serves Tucson and other municipalities. With more than 20 million people drinking Colorado River water every day, water usage is at or beyond the river's capacity. If development continues at the same rate or in the event of a drought, a large-scale water shortage among Colorado River users would be likely, leaving users to turn to area groundwater supplies, which are already in perilous condition.
Increased groundwater pumping to support population growth in south-central Arizona (including the Tucson and Phoenix areas) has already resulted in water-level declines of between 300 and 500 feet in much of the area. Land subsidence was first noticed in the 1940s and the ground level has sunk as much as 18 feet in some areas near Phoenix, indicating considerable and potentially irreversible impacts on aquifer storage and conductivity. In other words, even if the water were to be pumped back into the ground, the reservoir capacity is gone. Additionally, lowering of the water table has resulted in the loss of streamside vegetation.
The situation is similar in cities like Las Vegas and Denver, and there is no obvious quick or easy solution. They're simply going to run out of water someday, and the people will either have to go thirsty or move away.
Coming - to a town near you - 20 million former Colorado River drinkers!
3 comments:
I drink from my own well, drilled 200 feet into bedrock. The water tests out about the same as good [some of it aint!] bottled spring water. We get 40+ inches/year of rain and we don't give a building permit for a lot of less than 2 acres. Except for the *$&*^& plastic surgeons who clearcut their lots to put in a chemlawn, the place is mostly trees and meadows. I am not sure anything less "green" in the way of developement limitations is sustainable. An that is just my town. We are so screwed.
Any opinion on xeroscaped housing in Flagstaff or Sedona? We have visited those as well as Phoenix and I wouldn't live anywhere near or in any place as hot as Phoenix...its a mirage as far as planning goes. I find the climate in Flagstaff pretty much to my liking and at least is has a campus and good bike shops.
We don't have well water here, but we don't have lawns either.
Glad you enjoyed the desert. You were only hours from here. Compared to Georgia, I bet you felt like you were on another planet.
I always feel like I'm on another planet.
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