With the arrival of 2024, we have officially entered a Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage. Now that it is here, what does it mean, and how does it impact Arizona and the AMWUA cities? We thought...
The Colorado River is in better condition than it was this time last year when water elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead were at critically low levels. While Mother Nature and this past wet...
The positive hydrology generated from this winter’s precipitation in the Rockies has raised the elevation of Lake Mead above 1,050 feet, the trigger elevation for a Tier 2 Shortage. Having...
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released the August 24-Month Study, which determines how the Colorado River system will be managed the following year based on the levels of Lake Mead. The...
Last week, Arizona, California, and Nevada announced a proposal to reduce their use of Colorado River water through 2026. This plan requires modest water reductions of 3 million acre-feet over the...
The Colorado River system is projected to reap the benefits of this winter’s above-average snowfall, at least for the short term. While it may bring a minor reprieve, the Colorado River Basin...
Water users across the Colorado River basin have been anxiously anticipating the release of a draft document outlining proposed steps to stabilize and protect the Colorado River system by the US...
Leaders from Valley communities gathered with U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema at AMWUA last week to discuss the water challenges they collectively face as the Colorado River situation escalates. City...
Many headlines claim that Arizona is running out of water. While some specific areas within our state are facing challenges, such as wells running dry or aquifers not being able to sustain new...
With the arrival of 2023 comes a Tier 2a Colorado River Shortage. Now that it is here, what does it mean, and how does it impact Arizona and the AMWUA cities? We thought answering frequently...
State and federal water leaders voiced urgency for decisive action to address the dire situation on the Colorado River at last week’s Colorado River Water Users annual conference in Las...
As Lake Mead and Lake Powell’s elevations continue to descend towards unprecedented low levels, the US Bureau of Reclamation has signaled it is considering more than one initiative to...
A historic drought, warmer climate, and overuse have all contributed to water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell rapidly declining to an unprecedented point. While drastic cuts and a long-term...
Conserving water is what we do when we live in a desert, especially as pressures on our water supplies increase. While reducing your water use won’t solve the Colorado River shortage,...
The Colorado River is undoubtedly facing a crisis, and uncertainty remains about how the Federal Government and the Basin States will stabilize the River. The US Bureau of Reclamation announced...
As we confront a future with less Colorado River water, we are reminded about the importance of another critical water supply – groundwater. Both Colorado River water and groundwater have a...
Conservation actions are more vital than ever as pressures on our water supplies increase. While reducing your water use won't solve the Colorado River shortage, conservation enables your city...
Uncertainty and frustration are widespread one week after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that the Colorado River would be in a Tier 2a Shortage in 2023. The problem is not the Tier 2a...
What does a Tier 2a Shortage mean? The US Bureau of Reclamation declared a Tier 2a Shortage for the Colorado River in 2023 with its August 24-Month Study publication. Under the current framework...
The Colorado River's worsening conditions are dominating media stories and raising more questions than answers, even for municipal water providers. The unprecedented historic drought...
This year’s lengthy state legislative session will be remembered for the passage of a historic investment in Arizona’s water. The Legislature wrapped up its business with...
The Colorado River conditions have rapidly worsened to such a degree that the Federal Government will take extraordinary action to protect the system. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner...
Although conservation alone will not resolve water challenges, having it rooted in our daily actions enables us to better weather drought and shortages. Being water-wise will be critical to our...
For decades, the ten AMWUA cities have methodically and proactively invested in their water supplies. Now, as the situation on the Colorado River continues to worsen quicker than expected, the...
For decades, each of our ten desert cities – Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe – have methodically, proactively, and...
The news about the Colorado River, Lake Powell, and Lake Mead is escalating. While it may seem overwhelming and confusing, we want to try to explain what it all means to us here in the Phoenix...
The cities recognize that the conditions on the Colorado River are worsening quicker than anticipated. This reality was reiterated with the recent release of the US Bureau of Reclamation’s...
Lake Mead has been our primary focus when discussing the Colorado River since that is the reservoir from which Arizona, California, and Nevada get their Colorado River supply. Yet, as of late, our...
Finding new water supplies is an increasing area of focus for state leaders, decision-makers, and the water community, as highlighted by the recent announcement to create an Arizona Water Authority...
Arizona is always on the outlook for that next bucket of water. Knowing the importance of water in the desert, we often dream of finding new water supplies. This has increased in recent years as we...
With the 2022 legislative session now underway, state legislators will be considering various proposals to address water challenges. The importance of water has been elevated with the uncertainty...
Cities recognize that conditions on the Colorado River are serious and that the evolving situation will most likely worsen. Fortunately, the AMWUA cities and their water managers understand the...
2021 was a big year in water, and all the interest garnered these past 12 months will undoubtedly spill over into the new year as a Tier 1 Shortage begins and the impact of drought and climate...
Water managers in Arizona, California, Nevada, along with the US Department of the Interior, have agreed to take swift action to voluntarily leave an additional 500,000 acre-feet of water in Lake...
Arizona’s water story will become more complex as we head into a Colorado River Tier 1 Shortage in 2022. To offer insight into what the Colorado River Shortage means for Arizona,...
Water managers in Arizona, California, Nevada, and the US Bureau of Reclamation have been working hard to determine what additional action is necessary to keep Lake Mead from falling below...
When talking about drought, shortage, and water in Arizona, conservation is often mentioned. While we understand the significance and importance of traditional conservation efforts, another form of...
A Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage will happen in 2022, which will result in an estimated 30% reduction to Colorado River supplies delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) in Maricopa, Pinal,...
The announcement of a Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage for 2022 reinforces the importance of being responsible with all of the water we have. We understand significant challenges lie ahead for the...
The August 24-Month Study was released by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation today, and the details within that study confirm that a Tier 1 Shortage will be declared for 2022. This Colorado...
We anticipate a Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage in 2022 will be declared next week with the release of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)’s August 24-Month study. This Tier 1...
We live in the desert, so extreme heat, limited precipitation, and stressed water supplies can be expected. That is why the cities plan decades in advance, enabling us to weather times of prolonged...
The marathon, six-month 2021 legislative session officially concluded after over 1,700 pieces of legislation were introduced. As always, water was a prominent topic, with more than 60 individual...
Raging wildfires, an unrelenting record-breaking heatwave, and a drying Colorado River have generated significant concern about our water and our future in the Phoenix metropolitan...
As another anniversary of the 1980 Groundwater Management Act (GMA) passes, the importance of protecting our groundwater remains the same. We recognize that the GMA was a monumental piece of...
The terms drought and shortage are routinely used together when talking about Arizona's hot and arid climate. While both drought and shortage involve a lack of water, their...
The health of the Colorado River has been receiving significant attention with talks of a shortage in 2022. Now with the recent release of the United States Bureau of Reclamation's...
Over a month into the 2021 legislative session, Arizona’s lawmakers have introduced a record number of bills – more than 1,700. Included in those bills is legislation proposed by AMWUA...
To ensure we have water not only today, but for the long-term, our diligence and work never ends, and 2021 will certainly be no exception. While we know the Colorado River will receive much...
All across the West, we are all feeling the effects of the record-breaking heat and lack of precipitation. In addition to the obvious consequences, what do the high temperatures and lack of...
We use water every single day, and that is why it’s important to realize that those daily choices affect our future. With the arrival of April, we celebrate Water Awareness Month, which is...
Earlier this month the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) released its latest projections that shows a reduction in the risk of shortage triggered by declining water levels at Lake Mead. The status of the...
The terms drought and shortage are commonplace in conversations across the arid State of Arizona and although they are used together regularly, they are uniquely distinct. Drought is a prolonged...
Within the next week, the United States Bureau of Reclamation will release a report little-known to those outside the world of water professionals. The report, known as the April 24-Month Study, is...
On March 19th, representatives from the seven states that rely on the Colorado River met to celebrate their collective agreement on the Drought Contingency Plans (DCP). In a letter to Congress, the...
Arizona is much closer to being able to implement the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan (LBDCP), a plan that requires sacrifices from all water users to prevent far deeper shortages of Colorado...
Each time you wash dishes, wash a load of clothes, take a shower or flush a toilet you create wastewater. The wastewater leaves your home and enters your city’s collection system where...
The cities in the Valley of the Sun utilize just over 10 percent of all the water used in Arizona. Through smart planning and investment, these cities supply the water needs of both small...
“NIA water” stands for Non-Indian Agriculture water. It is a name assigned to Colorado River water delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) that was originally bought by...
Various races are competing for your attention on the ballot this election season. You know the high-profile races for Governor, the U.S. Congress and the State Legislature. Yet, near the...
Every August, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation releases a study of the Colorado River and this year it had both good news and bad news for states that rely on the river as a water resource. The study...
Cities are helping the next generation of desert dwellers understand where their water comes from, why it’s important to protect it, and how to conserve it. For more than a decade, the City...
Now is the time to act on a plan to keep Lake Mead from falling to perilously low levels because of continuing drought and long-standing over-allocation of Colorado River water. That was the...
Arizona water supplies are under pressure from ongoing drought, climate change and the over-allocation of the Colorado River among states. Here’s what you need to know about how your AMWUA...
A secure water supply fuels Arizona’s agriculture, tourism, mining, and even its power. Reliable water supplies are essential to attract industries with high paying jobs and meet the needs of...
An automated irrigation system waters your yard without you having to think about it – and that’s the problem. If you set the system and then forget it, this convenient device can...
Water has been a hot topic at the Legislature ever since last summer when the Governor initiated a statewide conversation about this subject. AMWUA had high hopes at the beginning of the year...
AMWUA cities routinely build partnerships to make sure they can deliver safe, reliable and affordable water to their residents all day every day. The cities share the cost of building and expanding...
Setting water rates is never easy. There are two overriding considerations for a city when calculating a new rate structure. First, city water departments need to cover service costs. These costs...
2017 was another busy year in water. It marked AMWUA’s 48th year of supporting the work of 10 Central Arizona cities to assure safe and reliable water for their...
2018 is set to be a big year for Arizona water law. For the last seven months, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has led a conversation about how to improve managing the state's Colorado...
The aquifers containing groundwater beneath our feet are vital to our way of life. These aquifers help AMWUA cities manage their water supplies in three important ways. First, like the...
It’s not unusual to sit on your patio and wish for a prettier backyard or pull into the driveway and question the curb appeal of your home. Many homeowners need and prefer a low-maintenance...
Arizona has been in a state drought for some 22 years, surpassing the worst drought in more than 110 years of record keeping. The Colorado River basin has been experiencing drought for about 17...
In the City of Avondale Noelene Richards is in charge of getting your attention. Avondale’s water division needs Noelene, the city's graphic designer, to help it reach residents...
Arizona has been working hard to ensure the Secretary of the Interior does not declare a shortage of Colorado River water and cut the state’s water supplies. It has taken a team effort...
The AMWUA cities’ conservation pros have worked together for nearly four decades to lead their municipalities toward a culture of conservation. There's very little these...
The number of gallons of drinking water a utility produces each month is not the same number of gallons paid for by its customers. Each month, a certain percentage of drinking water produced...
It is crucial for Arizona to avoid a shortage declaration of Colorado River water by the federal government because our state would take the first cut. Cities would still receive the same amount of...
Many people are wondering what this rainy, snowy winter means for Arizona after more than two decades of drought. Here are five things we know right now. 1. It's raining and snowing in the...
When City of Chandler Councilmember Rick Heumann joined the AMWUA Board of Directors six years ago he knew this about water: "I drank it." He knew Chandler had a water treatment plant and...
Pima County's Southwest Water Campus is the winner of the New Arizona Prize: Water Innovation Challenge and it has a big job ahead of it. These creative water professionals intend to increase...
Various races are competing for your attention on the ballot this election season. You know the high profile races for President of the United States, the U.S. Congress and the State Legislature....
Along with thirty conservation leaders and experts in the southwest, I've been wrestling with a project since 2013. It's part of the Moving Forward effort initiated by the Bureau of...
If you want to find out how to save water and keep a little grass in the back yard, how about asking a city with more than 400 acres of Bermuda to care for? The City of Scottsdale maintains 42...
During the last few decades, cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan area became bustling economic centers providing jobs and homes for millions of new residents. Development spread across what had been...
The cities of Mesa and Chandler provide the Gila River Indian Community with reclaimed water to irrigate its growing farm industry. In exchange, the Gila River community gives Mesa and Chandler...
Facing unprecedented water shortages, California Gov. Jerry Brown has imposed mandatory urban water use reductions of 25 percent. The Governor's order followed years of low snowpack and runoff...
Are you paying more for your water than your neighbor? It's a real possibility. All 10 AMWUA member cities have tiered residential water rates. That means the more water you use, the more...
The drought and potential shortages of Colorado River water have everyone talking. That's good news because no one seems to pay attention to water issues if there isn't a crisis brewing....