What influence does the Colorado River have on resupplying Arizona’s groundwater shortage over the last few years? This is what a recent study published in Communications Earth & Environment hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated the natural processes that could help replenish, and continue to deplete, Arizona’s groundwater supply. This study has the potential to help researchers, climate scientists, and the public better understand steps that can be taken to improve water supplies around the country, especially facing an uncertain future with climate change.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data obtained from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites regarding Arizona’s groundwater supplies. They discovered periods of immense groundwater reduction between the 1940s and 1970s, followed by resupply in the early 1980s, further resupply due to multiple wet seasons from the 1980s and 1990s, followed by replenishment between 2000 and 2023 due to aquifer management and surface-water irrigation. However, the researchers emphasized that increased climate change could result in the Colorado River becoming depleted, resulting in decreased Arizona groundwater.
“It's a lot of water, and that's great. We should celebrate that. But shortage on the Colorado River means we’ll have less water to boost our aquifers, and more pressure to pull groundwater out as a replacement supply,” said Dr. Kathryn Sorensen, who is the Director and Professor of Practice in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University and a co-author on the study.
This study comes as Arizona continues to take steps to mitigate its water shortage, specifically regarding new housing developments throughout the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
How will Arizona’s groundwater be replenished or depleted in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Communications Earth & Environment, EurekAlert!, AZ Mirror
Featured Image Credit: Central Arizona Project and Philip A. Fortnam
