Appraisal Report Central Arizona Project

Document: "Appraisal Report Central Arizona Project-Chapter I", January 1962, page 9full use of all of the streamflow of the area, and (2) created an extensive overdraft on the ground-water basin. Needs of the Area Corollary to the water supply inadequacy are the resulting economic needs. On a quantitative basis, the major water need is, and probably always will be, for irrigation since agricultural water demands will exceed urban demands under all foreseeable conditions. However, from the standpoint of preserving the economic health and well-being of the area and providing for future growth and development, the municipal and industrial water requirements may be of equal or greater importance. As previously indicated, much of the urban growth has been, and will continue in the future to be, at the expense of agricultural acreage for which a local water supply is available. Nevertheless, the conversion of agricultural land is accompanied by urbanization of desert lands both in the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas--and imported water is essential to permit such growth to continue. Without import water, future municipal and industrial demands could be met only by the purchase and retirement of irrigated lands outside the urban area. Such forced reduction of the agricultural economy undoubtedly would be reflected in reduced urban growth. With respect to irrigated lands, the water shortages are increasing crop production costs because existing wells must be deepened and re-equipped, or new ones drilled, as ground-water levels continue to decline. Concurrently, increasing quantities of power and energy are required to lift the water from deeper levels with the result that pumping costs increase progressively. Water shortages also influence the economy by depressing land values, by increasing interest rates, and by reducing the availability of lending capital to the farmers. 9Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,026,068 byte