Overview of the Governors Water Initiative Central Arizona Water - - PDF document

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Overview of the Governor’s Water Initiative

Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board Meeting November 5, 2015 Thomas Buschatzke, Director Arizona Department of Water Resources

• Published in January 2014
• Purpose: To identify strategies to help address Arizona’s future

water needs and provide a stable economy for the future

• Used existing information
• Identified local options first
• Identified priority strategies
• Conclusion: Ultimately, the State of Arizona is not facing an

immediate water crisis

• Growing statewide imbalance between existing water supplies and demand

projected in the next 25 years

• There are some local areas that require more immediate action
• The lack of an immediate problem increases the potential for inaction

Arizona Strategic Vision for Water Supply Sustainability Agenda Number 3.

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Arizona Strategic Vision

Identification & Analysis of Supply/Demand Imbalances

Water Supply and Demand Analysis

Arizona (2010) Water Resources Development Commission

• Total statewide demands
• Current ‐ 6.9 MAF
• 2035 ‐ 8.1 MAF
• 2110 ‐ 10.6 MAF
• Projected imbalance between 900,000 and 3.2

MAF over the next 25 to 100 years Reclamation (2012) Colorado River Basin Water Supply & Demand Study

• Colorado River Basin‐Wide average imbalance of

3.2 MAF by 2060

• Arizona’s projected imbalance between 260,000

to 1.4 MAF by 2060

• Regional Strategies
• Identification & Analysis of

“Planning Areas”

• Statewide Priorities
• Common Strategies Across

the State

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• Non‐Indian Agricultural (NIA) Priority CAP water
• Reclaimed Water/Water Reuse
• 50% of projected imbalance can be met with maximized use of reclaimed

water

• Groundwater in storage
• Potable, poor quality & brackish supplies
• Water Supply Development
• Revised Watershed Management Practices
• Weather modification
• Rainwater Harvesting/Stormwater Capture (large‐scale or macro)
• Importation or Exchange of New Water Supplies Developed Outside of

Arizona (e.g., Ocean Desalination)

Water Supply Opportunities

• Resolution of Federal and Non‐Federal Water Rights Claims
• General Stream Adjudication
• Indian Water Rights Settlements
• Continued Commitment to Water Conservation & Reuse of Reclaimed

Water – Including Direct Potable Reuse

• Comprehensive Statewide Data Collection & Analysis (Modeling Local

Conditions)

• Identify the Role of In‐State Water Transfers
• Supply Importation ‐ Desalination
• Funding
• Business leaders, Community and State leaders
• Rural Infrastructure

Strategic Priorities

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• Governor Ducey announced a new water initiative “through

ADWR to help ensure the certainty and vitality of Arizona’s water supply long into the future”

• Announcement made on October 5, 2015
• Continues the work published in the Strategic Vision
• Initiative involves two parallel tracks…

Governor’s New Water Initiative

First track:

• Prioritize and evaluate all of the 22 Planning Areas identified in

the Strategic Vision

• ADWR will work closely with 22 Planning Areas individually to

refine water supply and demand issues and identify strategies to meet future water demands.

• Cochise Planning Area is the first target Planning Area
• ADWR is working on prioritizing the other Planning Areas
• ADWR has been authorized to hire 3 new full time employees

for this track

• 2‐ Water Resource Planners
• 1‐ Hydrologist

Governor’s Water Initiative First Track

5 Second track:

• Governor will appoint a team to investigate long‐term

augmentation strategies, explore additional water conservation opportunities and identify infrastructure needs

• Team will be led by ADWR Director
• Team report back to the Governor with policy direction or

statutory changes

• Annual progress report will be due June 30th
• ADWR has been authorized to hire 2 new full time

Water Resource Planners

Governor’s Water Initiative Second Track

Questions?

Thomas Buschatzke Director

Phone: 602.771.8426 Email: tbuschatzke@azwater.gov Website: www.azwater.gov