Riparian Habitats and Reclaimed Water in Tucson: A Battle for Rights

Water scarcity is a major problem in Arizona. The state as well as the western United States in general is reliant on the Colorado River for its supply of water. A long history of water development and law has shaped the current situation. There are many different water users that compete for a share of the limited water supply. With Arizona's rapidly growing population municipal water use has increased. Because of this the hunt has begun to find additional water to meet the needs. Unfortunately, one sector where water may be taken from in the environment. The Santa Cruz River in Tucson has riparian areas that are kept going because of reclaimed wastewater that is discharge into the river. Without this water the riparian areas will disappear. Finding water for all of the different use sectors is proving to be a difficult dilemma