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Scott Anderson |
Central Arizona Project water supply and the future of south central Arizona
With the reality of global climate change, there is the possibility that the deserts of south central Arizona may become drier. If this scenario becomes reality, what would a truly sustainable community be like, given the water supply that is available today? What could a region become if its aim is to support a diverse mix of land uses that could survive in even the worst conceivable drought? How can current water resources be managed to insure that, even during future droughts, the communities of south central Arizona are sustainable? My thesis addresses these questions and proposes a growth model of the region that does not overextend the water supply.
Hard decisions will have to be made. But now is the time to begin that process before the region exceeds its water resource capacity.