Arizona Water Supply - The Drought

Even after 10 years of living in the Phoenix area, smack dab in the middle of the desert, I'm still taken aback when I hear about our being in a drought. Something about using the word drought in the same sentence with desert just seems strange. Doesn't the very definition of desert incorporate the idea if little to no water? The point of identifying drought, tho, is to establish a 'relative' measuring, i.e., having less precipitation to "normal" amounts. And in that sense, Arizona has now been in a drought for several years. Just how much of a drought is, IMHO, something I believe we should all be aware of.

According to the latest report by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Services, snow pack levels are lagging far behind the 30-year averages across the state. In the Salt River Basin, the snow pack level as of February 1st was 86% of the 30-year average. The result of such conditions is that we can expect substantially below median stream flow volumes. How low? Anywhere from 49% to 86% of the medians. In the Salt River Basin, the forecast is for a stream flow level that's 55% below the median average, or roughly HALF of the normal flow!

Other parts of Arizona are actually being hit harder with drought than the Phoenix metro area, but a drought is still a drought. I know it's going to sound like the the world's greatest understatement, but shouldn't we be making a more concerted effort at water conservation? I know... just a thought... we humans still have an awful tendency to not take action unless and until we're forced by a crisis. My hope is that we will not wait for the water problem in Arizona to become critical before we take the appropriate measures.

This whole subject has made me thirsty, so I'm off to drink a glass of water! :)

...randy