Growing Returns: Arizona

Last week Governor Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) released a new analysis of groundwater in the Phoenix metro area. News broke around the country with headlines questioning the viability of future development in the region. But, what does this new analysis actually mean for Arizona? Let’s dive in. What does this new […]

The post The Phoenix area can no longer grow on groundwater. What does this mean for Arizona? first appeared on Growing Returns.

Last week Governor Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) released a new analysis of groundwater in the Phoenix metro area. News broke around the country with headlines questioning the viability of future development in the region. But, what does this new analysis actually mean for Arizona? Let’s dive in.  What does this […]

The post The Phoenix area can no longer grow on groundwater. What does this mean for Arizona? first appeared on Growing Returns.

A new website from EDF, American Rivers, and Four Corners Mapping provides a special look at the Grand Canyon through an educational, interactive journey. The interactive tool invites people to take a tour through the Grand Canyon and learn how the complexities of the Colorado River crisis impact the Grand Canyon and its surrounding communities […]

The post EDF and partners launch interactive Grand Canyon website first appeared on Growing Returns.

This blog is co-authored by Rachel O’Connor, Manager, Climate Resilient Water Systems. As Arizona’s water crisis worsens due to extreme drought and overuse, more attention than ever is being directed toward addressing this critical issue. At the federal level, an influx of funding has become available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. […]

The post New report: Investing in Arizona’s water future first appeared on Growing Returns.

After months of negotiations, the Arizona Legislature passed a major water spending plan last month with funding for new conservation efforts to address deteriorating water supply conditions. However, for the fourth year in a row, state leaders failed to pass legislation to address unlimited groundwater pumping, missing an opportunity to enable a water secure future for 1.5 million rural residents and the state as a whole.

The post A conservation win and groundwater loss: Arizona ends 2022 session with mixed water record first appeared on Growing Returns.

Legislation to protect rural Arizona groundwater has stalled for two years but Arizonans across the state have spoken: It’s time to move forward on a vote to protect this vital natural resource.

The post Arizonans have spoken: It’s time to protect rural groundwater. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Let’s choose to pursue a just transition to a river basin with less water.

The post Climate change is destabilizing the Colorado River Basin. Where do we go from here? first appeared on Growing Returns.

Three groundwater bills Arizona lawmakers should pass to ensure a secure future for rural communities.

The post How to advance water security for Arizona? These 3 bills are a good start. first appeared on Growing Returns.

In Arizona and much of the West, climate leadership is water leadership, and we need to see more of it, fast.

The post Climate leadership is water leadership. This Arizona bill is neither. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Here are the top three actions Arizona state lawmakers should take for water security in 2021.

The post Top 3 water priorities in the 2021 Arizona legislative session first appeared on Growing Returns.

Many of Arizona's ecologically important waterways are now at risk of pollution and even destruction as a result of recent rollbacks of federal protections. Here's how you can help protect them.

The post 3 simple steps to help protect Arizona’s at-risk rivers and lakes first appeared on Growing Returns.

Rural Arizona communities don't have the tools they need to address dwindling water supplies, so state and local policy makers need to act.

The post Rural Arizonans need these tools to manage declining groundwater resources, fast first appeared on Growing Returns.

Collaboration, innovation and leadership on groundwater are needed then to ensure a resilient economic future for Arizona’s cities.

The post Arizona leaders must finish what was started on groundwater 40 years ago first appeared on Growing Returns.

Lack of oversight and transparency on groundwater pumping has left Arizona's rural communities powerless to secure their water supplies. This bill could change that.

The post This bill will protect scarce water supplies for rural Arizona, if the Legislature can pass it first appeared on Growing Returns.

This Arizona farm combines tribal traditions with modern practices to increase the resilience of its operation. Here's how.

The post Resilience on the river: How an Arizona farmer combines tribal traditions with modern practices first appeared on Growing Returns.

Arizona just got another temporary reprieve from water cuts in Lake Mead, for the second year in a row. However, sustainable water management — of both the Colorado River and groundwater — remains crucial to becoming resilient to increasingly arid conditions in the Southwest.

The post New Lake Mead forecast spares Arizona – for now. Here are four critical steps to water security. first appeared on Growing Returns.

New Arizona bill will create an inclusive, locally driven, science-based stakeholder process to help solve groundwater challenges in two rural counties

Record-setting drought has led the Colorado River states to recognize the urgent need to more carefully manage their finite water budget. The DCP is a huge step forward for a more secure water future for the Southwest.

DCP agreement is building a more secure future for Colorado River states.

It’s time for Arizona to fully acknowledge the region’s grim hydrology and implement plans to create a more sustainable future.