Atlases Display Arizona Water Information

ADWR Issues Draft Vol. 4 of Arizona Water Atlas
The Arizona Department of Water Resources has completed draft Volume 4 of a nine-volume set of the Arizona Water Atlas. Volume 4 covers the Upper Colorado River Planning Area, from Peeples Valley southwest of Prescott, to Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City, and Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, as well as the southern shores of Lake Mead. The eastern boundary of the planning area takes in Grand Canyon West south to Skull Valley. There are nine groundwater basins in the planning area and parts of Yavapai, Coconino, La Paz and Mohave counties.

For study purposes, ADWR staff divided Arizona into seven planning areas, each containing multiple groundwater basins. There is a separate Atlas volume for each planning area, an introductory volume composed of background information, and an executive summary volume. The primary objectives in assembling the atlas are to present an overview of water supply and demand conditions in Arizona, to provide water resource information for planning and resource development purposes, and help identify the needs of communities.

The first four volumes are available on the ADWR website: http://www.azwater.gov ADWR plans to complete drafts of all Atlas volumes by the early 2008 and will make printed copies and CD-ROMs available.

The atlas staff is seeking substantive public and professional comment on the work in progress. Staff plans to revise the Atlas, based on comments received. An electronic comment form is available on the website.
For additional information, contact: Linda Stitzer, Project co-manager lsstitzer@azwater.gov (520) 770-3815.

Create Maps Using UA Arizona Electronic Atlas
The Arizona Electronic Atlas is a dynamic web-based interactive state atlas that allows users to create, manipulate, and download accurate and current maps and data through an easy-to-use interface. The data are arranged in four map themes: natural resources, which includes lakes, streams and riparian areas, people and society, business and economics, and environment and population. The map and associated data can be printed or downloaded. The web site includes a learning module that demonstrates the types of maps that can be developed. The module shows the spatial relationship between EPA Superfund Sites and Hispanics in the Phoenix area. The atlas is available at atlas.library.arizona.edu

The University of Arizona Library led the effort to create this resource, with the collaboration of the Arizona Department of Library, Archives and Public Records, Arizona State Cartographer's Office, Arizona Geographic Information Council and Arizona State University. The Institute for Museum and Library Services awarded the initial grant to create the atlas.

Report Warns of Hazards of Excess Groundwater Pumping

In many areas of the West, groundwater is being looked to as a new water source to make up for insufficient river flows. This is not a good water resource decision because groundwater and surface water are not separate and will rise and fall together. Ultimately, rivers bear the burden.

A recent report published by Trout Unlimited's Western Water Project, Gone to the Well Once Too Often: The Importance of Groundwater provides basic information necessary for citizens, legislators and others to understand issue. It explains the relationship between groundwater and surface water and the adverse effects that groundwater pumping can have on surface ecology. It describes the current regulatory management of groundwater in a dozen western states including Arizona. Finally, it makes a set of recommendations for wise ground water management. Interspersed throughout, there are stories of rivers in the region that have been adversely affected as a result of ground water pumping. The report is available at the Trout Unlimited web site: http://www.tu.org