New groundwater report shows people keep moving to AZ despite shrinking supply
A report released earlier this week found groundwater near Buckeye is short of a 100-year supply. And according to the director of the Department of Water Resources, the rest of the state could head in that direction.
Tom Buschatzke said what is in the report means that the department will not be issuing any permits for new residential subdivisions around the Lower Hassayampa Sub-basin.
And cities that cannot show their Central Arizona Project allocations ensure a 100-year supply could see similar restrictions.
The report’s release was delayed as former Gov. Doug Ducey wanted to release it at the same time that stakeholders came up with possible solutions to put out in the public.
Gov. Katie Hobbs says she's uncertain whether the water shortages both below and above ground will allow the state to grow at previous rates.
“A lot of what we're facing in terms of Colorado River shortages is that more of the snowfall is being absorbed and there's less runoff. And that's caused by climate change. It's not something we can fix by using less water," Hobbs said.
The basin lost more than 2 million acre feet of water in the last 80 years.
