Water Management in Arizona - Kenneth Seasholes

This presentation represents a good case study on integrated water resources management including surface and ground water (more than 160000 water points). This case describes the way by which the government adapted its strategy on water resource management due to water because of growing population (fastest growing state in the USA) and water demands (70% of ground water are used to irrigated agriculture) in arid zone.

In addition, due to challenges in groundwater resources management, Arizona is going through interbasin water transfers from the Colorado River over long distances (more than 500 kilometers).

Regarding to climate change impacts and much more increasing water demand (growing population):
1) groundwater management Act was adopted in 1988 defining the safe yield notion;
2) the resort to water transfer over long distances should be the alternative offered to decision makers given the fact that the use of groundwater is unsustainable and the use of surface water is sustainable.

Despite the goal of integrated water resource management, the surface legal framework is different than the one for ground water.

Blog reporters: Djamel Latrech and Abdel Kader Dodo