Water

Guaymas sewage
By early next year, Sonoran officials say the coastal municipality of Guaymas, which has long struggled with a collapsing sewage system and spotty access to drinking water, will take control of its own water operations.
Nov. 30, 2022
Salton Sea
The drought has sent federal agencies scrambling to keep Lake Mead and Lake Powell from falling. They are trying to keep California’s largest lake from drying up as well.
Nov. 29, 2022
ASU Arizona State University
Arizona State University will lead a partnership to tackle future water needs. A $40 million boost from the state will help the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative to study and develop new water solutions and technologies. Dave White is with ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation.
Nov. 25, 2022
Cochise County
While the county remains committed to a controversial vote counting process, members of the Water Coalition of Arizona say that initiative 422, which would establish a groundwater management board, should easily have enough votes to pass.
Nov. 16, 2022
housing construction
Maricopa County’s population has more than doubled over the past 30 years, making it one of the fastest growing regions in the country. But meanwhile, Arizona’s water supply has become more and more depleted. So as growth continues, can the state sustain even more residents?
More Arizona water news
Nov. 15, 2022
Colorado River
Western utilities have been downsizing and shutting down coal-fired power plants in the face of climate change, a trend that is likely to continue and could have additional benefits, such as water savings.
Nov. 15, 2022
Cochise County
Voters in southeast Arizona got to weigh in on a pair of initiatives that would create local boards to regulate groundwater use, but it could be a while before they know the results.
Nov. 14, 2022
Carlsbad Desalination Plant reverse osmosis gallery
A new desalination plant has been approved in California's Orange County. This comes as communities across the western U.S. grapple with an uncertain water future.
Nov. 14, 2022
drop from a water faucet
The city of Mesa has a water-rate discount program for low-income older adults. Called the Limited Senior Rate Program, the plan introduced about a year ago takes 30% off residents’ water bills.
Nov. 11, 2022
dry cracked ground
Two decades of the Southwest megadrought have marked Arizona’s driest period in 1,200 years. With climate change in full swing, greenhouse emissions well above pledged targets and the state facing cutbacks to its share of dwindling Colorado River water, many wonder: Is drought the new normal?
More Arizona water news
Nov. 10, 2022
The Arizona Canal
The dwindling water levels of Lake Powell and Lake Mead have gotten a lot of attention in the midst of Arizona’s historic drought. But those aren’t the only measures causing alarm.
More Arizona water news
Nov. 10, 2022
a water map by jen urso
Artist Jen Urso is taking this year's Canal Convergence into virtual reality with her latest project, "What Grows Here." It’s an interactive, layered map that shows more than 1,000 years of water use in the Scottsdale area.
Nov. 9, 2022
washing hands with water
Voters in southeast Arizona may split on a pair of initiatives that would have allowed them to form local boards to manage their groundwater supplies. Propositions 420 and 422 are similar measures for nearby rural districts, but early results suggest 422 could pass while 420 fails.
Nov. 8, 2022
Climate change is making the American West hotter and drier, shifting the timing and strength of moisture extremes. But research suggests beaver dams could more than offset the harmful effects such changes have on water quality.
Nov. 8, 2022
washing hands with water
In southeast Arizona, voters will also decide on propositions that would create management districts for groundwater.
Nov. 7, 2022
U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering narrowing the Clean Water Act, a federal law that regulates pollutants in water and wetlands. Some have pointed to a disproportionate amount of harm a decision to narrow that scope could have on Indigenous communities.
Nov. 3, 2022
Detention basins
Flagstaff city officials announced the completion of a detention basin on the city’s west side that will help protect homes from flooding.
Nov. 3, 2022
a Dynamite Water tanker
The San Carlos Apache tribe has offered to make 65 million gallons of its Central Arizona Project water available while Rio Verde works out a long-term solution.
Nov. 1, 2022
A sign points voters to the polls at Tumbleweed Recreation Center
As Arizona and other states throughout the Southwest have tried to manage water supplies throughout a historic drought, the Colorado River has gotten the bulk of the attention. But rural Arizonans are concerned about groundwater.
Oct. 31, 2022
Lake Powell
California recently proposed water conservation measures that would reduce its consumption of Colorado River water. But some say the proposal did not go far enough.
Oct. 26, 2022

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