Water security enables us to thrive in our state's unique landscape

This month, Arizona celebrated its 113th birthday, which provides us with a perfect opportunity to appreciate where we live and embrace the state's diverse landscapes and weather, along with our ongoing resilience in the face of persistent challenges.

Although a large portion of the state sits at least 4,000 feet above sea level and is home to the world's largest Ponderosa Pine forest, Arizona is well-known for its vast deserts and arid climate. Approximately one-tenth of Arizona is forested, one-fourth is woodland, another quarter is grassland, and the remainder is desert. This is fitting, as Arizona is the only state containing parts of North America's four deserts: the Sonoran Desert (the largest), the Mohave, the Great Basin, and the Chihuahuan Desert. 

Even though it is a desert State, Arizona has more shoreline than expected. Within our borders are human-made lakes (from dams), including Roosevelt Lake , Bartlett Lake, Canyon Lake, Saguaro Lake, Apache Lake, and Lake Havasu, as well as the two largest human-made lakes in the U.S.- Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Arizona also has many creeks and rivers, including the San Pedro River, Gila River, Verde River, Salt River, and the Colorado River,  which is our State's western border.

All these characteristics highlight our state's diversity and showcase the challenges of living in Arizona's varied climate and geography, which can produce the highest and lowest temperatures in the country within the same day. Precipitation levels also differ from border to border, but rainfall averages can be as low as five to eight inches annually in desert areas like the Valley. We have once again been experiencing the very low end of that scale firsthand as another dry winter season will soon be wrapping up.

Considering all this, it's remarkable that we can thrive in the mostly arid regions of Arizona, which wouldn't be possible without reliable water supplies and a strong foundation of water security. The proactive planning, management, and investments by the ten AMWUA cities in water resources  and necessary infrastructure ensure that 3.7 million residents and key businesses in our economy have access to water. These water systems are collectively comprised of 18,000 miles of pipes, 30 treatment plants, and over 136,000 fire hydrants to protect homes and businesses. Municipal water providers take their responsibility for daily water delivery seriously. Each AMWUA city has worked diligently to attain a 100-year Assured Water Supply Designation. Building on the water security established by municipal water systems, the Phoenix metropolitan area has created a thriving economy that produced $398 billion in GDP in 2023 - 76% of Arizona’s GDP.  

In addition to the country’s most proactive groundwater management structure, water conservation in Arizona’s most populated areas has been mandated for over 40 years. This strong water conservation  ethic has made a difference and continues to impact our communities. For instance, the ten AMWUA cities collectively use the same amount of drinking water today as they did in 2000, despite an increase of about one million residents. Our collective commitment to wise water use enables us to enjoy our desert lifestyles and maintain a robust economy because people have come to recognize the importance of safeguarding our water for both now and future generations.

So please take some time to reflect on everything our state offers. Also, remember that maintaining our quality of life in this challenging environment requires protecting our most precious resource: water. By being water-wise, we all contribute  to our resiliency.

For 55 years, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association has helped protect our member cities' ability to provide their communities with assured, safe, and sustainable water supplies. For more information, visit www.amwua.org .