Presson 1

Lily Presson

Sean Holstege

JMC 301 - 70926

3 December 2021

Enterprise Final Story

A water shortage was declared on the Colorado River for the first time in its history after Lake

Mead and Lake Powell hit record low water levels back in August.

The Colorado River supplies water to 40 million people living in the nation’s western states. The

two Arizona lakes are some of its main reservoirs.

With unnerving predictions coming to light, the importance of the individual is at an all-time

high. These numbers seem large, but all change starts with a singular person.

According to the Bureau of Reclamation, “the projected water year 2021 unregulated inflow into

Lake Powell—the amount that would have flowed to Lake Mead without the benefit of storage

behind Glen Canyon Dam—is approximately 32% of average.”

“Total Colorado River system storage today is 40% of capacity, down from 49% at this time last

year,” the Bureau of Reclamation said.

The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is

the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power.

“Like much of the West, and across our connected basins, the Colorado River is facing

unprecedented and accelerating challenges,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science

Tanya Trujillo in an article posted by the Bureau of Reclamation.

The Colorado River Basin includes all of Arizona, parts of California, Colorado, New Mexico,

Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.

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“Based on the Jan. 1 projected level of Lake Mead at 1,065.85 feet above sea level, the U.S.

Secretary of the Interior has declared the first-ever Tier 1 shortage for Colorado River operations

in 2022. This Tier 1 shortage will result in a substantial cut to Arizona’s share of the Colorado

River — about 30% of Central Arizona Project’s normal supply; nearly 18% of Arizona’s total

Colorado River supply; and less than 8% of Arizona’s total water use,” said the Central Arizona

Project, Arizona’s largest supplier of water.

Ray Quay, a Research Professional with the Decision Center for a Desert City project in the

Global Institute of Sustainability and an expert in water conservation in the Phoenix metropolitan

area, said there are a few main things Arizonans can change in their everyday lives.

Quay said residents must “commit themselves to become more aware of how they use water and

alter their lifestyles to use less water without adversely impacting the quality of life.”

“Become more aware what activities you do that use water and how important these are to you.

If there are activities you do that use water that just are not important, then stop doing them. Is

there part of your lawn you cannot see and never use? Replace it with gravel,” Quay said.

Quay also suggested that Tempe residents commit themselves to learning about the water issues

in the area.

The issue has the potential to escalate badly if nothing changes, in the long-term, Quay said.

The issue is more about supply and demand. There will be water available in the future, but the

question is how much?

“There have been a few dystopian novels written based on this premise but it is more probable

that we will politically manage demand and supply,” Quay said.

Upholding a more positive outlook, the public highlights the importance of the individual; one

person can make a difference.

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Kiana Hyman, a sustainability major at ASU, was concerned to hear about the water shortage.

“I was unaware an official water shortage was declared,” Hyman said, “but I think Arizonans use

too much water. We ourselves are the problem and there is change we can make to reverse it.”

Hyman also discussed her worries for the future of Arizona if nothing were to change.

“If we run out of water, we will probably rely more on groundwater which takes even longer to

get replenished naturally and creates environmental impacts like sinkholes and unstable land,

which then becomes dangerous,” Hyman said.

“Arizonans should use more xeriscape landscaping in their homes/ businesses which use more

native desert plants and rocks which are more resilient and require less water,” Hyman said.

Xeriscape landscaping, also known as desert landscaping, is a landscaping method that reduces

or eliminates the need for heavy watering.

Many residents have started using xeriscape landscaping after discovering that it requires less

upkeep, is eco-friendly, and could save money on the water bill.

“Another thing is not to buy, rent, or build homes with pools, as most people with pools rarely

use them. Along with everyday changes, like taking short showers, not letting the water run

while you do dishes, and turning the water off while you brush your teeth...these small changes

could help our future immensely in the long run,” Hyman said.

Ultimately, Hyman thinks agriculture is a major consumer of water and that farmers should try to

integrate different methods that require less water.

With fingers being pointed in many directions, the Central Arizona Project said that reductions

will be determined by the CAP’s priority system.

“The Tier 1 shortage reductions fall largely on central Arizona agricultural users,” CAP said in

an article.
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Alex Pollard, a student at ASU and an avid lake-goer, was unaware that the water shortage was

declared.

“I had no clue that we were facing that big of a problem,” Pollard said, “I had no clue that we

were in a water shortage, let alone that the water shortage could affect 40 million people.”

Similar to Hyman, Pollard also said he tries to stay conscious of his water usage in small ways.

“I only run the dishwasher when it is completely full, I take short showers and I try my best to

run the washer and dryer as little as possible. Kind of like how I do for the dishwasher, I’ll only

do laundry if I have a full load,” Pollard said.

Pollard said he was concerned about Arizona’s future and offered his thoughts on

overconsumption culprits.

“I love going to the lakes here, so I’m worried the shortage will affect me being able to enjoy the

beautiful lakes Arizona has to offer,” Pollard said.

“Hearing about the shortage also makes me scared that I won’t be able to golf anymore if nothing

changes,” Pollard said.

“I don’t know how much water it takes to keep up with that high maintenance grass, but I know

it’s definitely not low,” Pollard said.

While wakeboarding doesn’t affect Arizona’s water consumption too much, golfing does.

An article posted by azcentral.com showed that “219 courses across Arizona used a total of

119,478 acre-feet of water in 2019. The average amount of water used per course was 504

acre-feet during the year, or about 450,000 gallons a day.”

The Arizona Department of Water Resources said that the average acre-foot of water delivered in

the Phoenix area supplies three single-family households, on average.

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To put it into perspective, the Water Education Foundation said on their website that an acre-foot

is “enough water to cover an acre of land, about the size of a football field, one foot deep.”

While that may seem like a large amount of water, the water that would be saved through no

longer watering the grounds wouldn’t even make a dent.

According to the Kyl Center for Water Policy, the golf industry accounts for about 1.3 percent of

Arizona’s allotted water.

Cynthia Campbell, Water Resources Management Advisor at the city of Phoenix, told 12News:

“You could turn off every golf course in the City of Phoenix and it still wouldn’t be remotely

enough to make up what the [water usage cut] is going to be for farmers in Pinal County.”

Not only would the stoppage of watering not result in significant change, it could be damaging to

the environment that the course has created.

According to Audubon International, “golf can provide multiple other uses, including: act as

wildlife sanctuaries, provide natural environments in urban areas, support native plants and

wildlife, and improve air quality and moderate temperature.”

The issue may seem daunting, but experts reassured the public by presenting strategies moving

forward.

“Arizona has been proactively building resilience and implementing innovative water

management strategies to secure dependable water supplies,” the Arizona Water Facts website

said.

The Bureau of Reclamation said the only way to address the crisis is to utilize the best available

science and work cooperatively across landscapes and communities that rely on the Colorado

River.
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“This is precisely the focus of the White House Interagency Drought Working Group—a

multi-agency partnership created to collaborate with States, Tribes, farmers and communities

impacted by drought and climate change to build and enhance regional resilience,” the Bureau

said.

“Relying on the best available scientific information to guide operations, investing in water

conservation actions, maximizing the efficient use of Colorado River water and being prepared

to adopt further actions to protect the elevations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead remains

Reclamation’s priority and focus,” the Bureau said in a statement.

“Be the change you want to see” has really come to fruition for Arizona folks.

Water shortage could be a significant issue in the future, but we can aid by doing our part, no

matter how small it may be.

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Sources:

Alexander Pollard: (602)-349-2073

Craig Caggiano: (480)-250-5336

Kiana Hyman: (808)-463-6997

Ray Quay: (480)-965-4394

https://sustainability-innovation.asu.edu/campus/what-asu-is-doing/

https://www.cap-az.com/water/water-supply/adapting-to-shortage/colorado-river-shortage/

https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/3950

https://www.azfamily.com/weather/arizona_drought/arizonas-water-supply-to-face-cuts-after-wat

er-shortage-declaration-issued/article_6e62c93e-fec7-11eb-b086-0fd227ea946a.html

https://knowyourwaternews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CAP-Colorado-River-Shortage-Fa

ctsheet.pdf

http://www.arizonawaterfacts.com/do-we-have-enough

https://www.12news.com/article/news/regional/scorched-earth/lake-mead-close-reaching-next-sh

ortage-threshold-projections-show/75-ca95886d-e767-4c4f-9b8f-9d51cad9f01a

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/06/14/arizona-golf-cours

es-fight-water-conservation-efforts/5032190001/#:~:text=The%20records%20show%20219%20

golf,about%20450%2C000%20gallons%20a%20day.

\https://www.12news.com/article/news/verify/golf-courses-water-shortage-arizona-verify/75-7d2

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