KTAR News: Water Watch

Salt River Project offers a glimpse of its maintenance work at Mormon Flat Dam near Apache Junction in the Tonto National Forest. SRP relies on reservoirs and dams along the Salt and Verde rivers to deliver water to about 2.5 million Valley residents and provides power to more than 1 million residents. Matt Pendergraft, SRP’s director of hydro generation, explains that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation owns the dams, while SRP operates and maintains them.

State Senator Tim Dunn received the Arizona Cotton Growers Association’s 2026 J.S. Francis, Jr. Distinguished Public Service Award. Dunn says he encourages his colleagues in agriculture to make every drop of water count. A practice he says is necessary to comply with groundwater regulations in the Ranegras Plain Active Management Area, which covers parts of Yuma and La Paz counties.

State Senator Tim Dunn received the Arizona Cotton Growers Association’s 2026 J.S. Francis, Jr. Distinguished Public Service Award. Dunn says he encourages his colleagues in agriculture to make every drop of water count. A practice he says is necessary to comply with groundwater regulations in the Ranegras Plain Active Management Area, which covers parts of Yuma and La Paz counties.

About 1.2 million acres of national forest land in Arizona could be at risk of development if the Trump administration repeals the Roadless Rule. Alicia Marrs, the National Wildlife Federation’s associate vice president of western water, says the repeal could allow road construction, logging and mining.

Amazon has launched the Colorado River Basin Collaborative to fund water projects across the basin and is encouraging other organizations to join. The goal is to raise $100 million over the next two years. Amazon Water Sustainability Lead Will Hewes says no single company can solve the water shortage alone—it will take an industry-wide effort.

As Colorado River water cuts loom, the City of Peoria is moving to shore up its supply. The Peoria City Council has approved a $104 million contract with Vidler to purchase roughly 176,000 acre-feet in long-term storage credits from the Harquahala Valley.

The city currently receives just over 34,000 acre-feet from the Central Arizona Project, but Water Resources Advisor Melinda Whittington says that allocation is expected to drop by about 7,000 acre-feet next year.

The Upper Verde River is one step closer to being designated an Outstanding Arizona Water. The Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter nominated this stretch of the Verde in 2023, along with portions of Sycamore Creek. ADEQ independently evaluated the nomination and is now in the rulemaking process to make it official.

The Upper Verde River is one step closer to being designated an Outstanding Arizona Water. The Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter nominated this stretch of the Verde in 2023, along with portions of Sycamore Creek. ADEQ independently evaluated the nomination and is now in the rulemaking process to make it official.

Australian ultramarathon runner Mina Guli is running the entire 2,000-mile length of the Colorado River to spotlight the growing strain on one of the West's most critical water systems. The Thirst Foundation CEO launched the effort as part of her Keep the River Running campaign. Guli told KTAR she set the ambitious goal to show others that if she can take on something this daunting, communities across the basin can come together to reverse the river's decline.

A swath of cyber-attacks on U.S. water infrastructure over the last few weeks begs the question, could something like that happen here in Arizona? At the end of July, wastewater utilities in at least five states reported coordinated cyber breaches targeting programmable logic controllers, or the brain of the computer, that are connected to pumps, valves and pressure systems. 

Sedona is open for business! President of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce David Key says the off-season is a great time to visit, adding the city has experienced a dip in tourism following the Pocket Fire. He says while Oak Creek and some hiking trails are still closed, there are hundreds of miles of trails that are open. 

Sedona has a $1 billion a year hospitality industry, with 3/4 of that revenue generated from visitors. 

An Arizona water leader says the federal framework for the Colorado River doesn't provide enough certainty for the lower basin. Director of the ASU Kyl Center for Water Policy, Sarah Porter, told a SciLine webinar the Final Environmental Impact Statement is focused on protecting water infrastructure and the ability to produce hydropower. However, she adds it doesn't resolve conflict between the upper and lower basins. 

Low flows through the Grand Canyon are creating problems for wildlife and commercial boating. Flows down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon have dropped significantly over the last year due to an abysmal winter and less releases from Lake Powell. 

An Arizona State University water expert has received an award from the United Nations for his work using NASA satellites to map groundwater. ASU global futures professor Jay Famiglietti will be presented with the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water at the UN office in Vienna later this year. Famiglietti explains his research uses gravity recovery and climate expert satellites to create maps that track groundwater movement. 

The Arizona Tri-University Recharge Project report looks at how to capture water across the state and increase groundwater recharge. Researchers from Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona used satellite-based methods to develop information. It found a massive amount of water is being lost to evapotranspiration, water loss through soil and plants. 

The Grand Canyon's water supply comes from snowmelt on the Kaibab Plateau. Professor of eco-hydrogeology at Northern Arizona University's School of Earth and Sustainability Abe Springer says the water quality has become more turbid, meaning the amount of sediment suspended in the water. 

If you think food prices are high now, they could get even higher as additional Colorado River water cuts are on the way. About 70% of the state's water supply goes to agriculture, but cutting ag means less food. Pinal County cotton farmer Todd Thelander says he first experienced water cuts in 2022. 

The city of Scottsdale is looking to acquire new water sources as it braces for Colorado River water cuts. Scottsdale gets about 70% of its water supply from the Central Arizona Project - Colorado River Water. Mayor Lisa Borowsky said the city is working to purchase 15,000 acre-feet of water for $8.25 million. 

Arizona water agencies have taken a key step that could eventually allow the state to buy desalinated water from Southern California. CAP, the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Nevada Water Authority have all signed a memorandum of understanding with a desalination plant in Carlsbad. CAP President Terry Goddard says there are a lot of legal complications because there is no existing framework to move Colorado River water across state lines. 

Arizona has received a $20 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to address PFAs in our drinking water. PFAs, also known as forever chemicals, are compound chemicals found in waterproof clothing, nonstick cookware like Teflon and foam used by fire fighters. Luis Garcia Bakarich with the EPA water division says PFAs have migrated into our groundwater and surface water. 

The City of Phoenix is modeling the behavior it would like to see from its residents when it comes to water conservation. Phoenix Vice-Mayor Kesha Hodge Washinton says the city's Aviation Department has saved 27-million gallons annually by replacing grass with native vegetation and updating airport cooling towers. 

A judge sided with the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona when it ruled the Arizona Department of Water Resources can't use what the judge called new rules to prevent developers from building. Developers were prevented from building in the West Valley because any new subdivision would deplete the aquifer in the East Valley. ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke said groundwater is all connected. Representing the Home Builders Association, Vice President of Litigation for the Goldwater Institute Jon Riches said this new standard hurt the housing market.