UA to release $100,000 Tucson water study
In the 1930s, Arizonans mobilized their state militia to guard Parker Dam along the Colorado river, keeping California from taking more than its share of water.
Today, as Arizonans grapple with growing populations and dwindling supplies, water remains a contentious issue.
The University of Arizona entered the debate last night by creating a study of water issues in Tucson, UA President Peter Likins announced at a press conference.
Tentatively titled "Water in the Tucson Area: Sustainability, Affordability and Acceptability," the report will be made available to the public in about two weeks, Likins said.
The study brought together several UA researchers under the auspices of the Arizona Water Resources Research Center, a UA institute, he said.
No outside funding was used in the project to avoid accusations that the study was politically motivated, Likins said. The project's $100,000 budget was funded with university dollars, he said.
In addition to the main study, the budget funded 10 smaller studies on various issues ranging from the quality of Central Arizona Project water to creating a Web site for UA water research.
While Likins said little about what the study will contain, he stressed that the researchers have taken no political stance and will make no recommendations on how to solve Arizona's water problems.
"I asked them not to make political judgments...to leave that in the public domain," he said.
Victor Baker, a Regents professor and department head of Hydrology and Water Resources, said there are no easy solutions.
"People have been led to think that there's a magic bullet, an easy way," he said. "Anything that is done has impact on something else. You can't take water from one place without impacting that place."
Baker discussed some of the impacts of Tucson's water use at a speech after the press conference, which was attended by more than 100 students, faculty and community members.
The talk, "Water Science and Policy in the Southwest," was held at the University Medical Center's DuVal Auditorium.
A century ago, the Santa Cruz river flowed through Tucson, allowing mills and farms to flourish along its banks, he said. Pumping of natural ground water reserves below the city left it a barren wash.
The water table has dropped 150 feet since 1955, he said, adding that more water is pumped out than trickles in through rains and runoff.
In addition to supply problems, the drop in the water table has led to the ground above the aquifer to subside several feet, Baker said.
The shifting soil could lead to complications with sewer and water lines. As the ground shifts their position, they may end up sloping the wrong way, leading to sewage backing up, he said.
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