2022-09-05 A growing threat to Arizona’s rivers — climate change

Since 1912, when Arizona achieved statehood, groundwater pumping and surface water diversions have severely impacted major groundwater basins and seriously degraded five of Arizona’s major perennial rivers: Colorado, Gila, Salt, Santa Cruz, and much of the San Pedro, all sacrificed for economic development.

Perennial flow in the Verde River is diminished, and the future base flow of the upper Verde River is significantly threatened. Concerned citizens and groups have struggled for decades to protect our surviving rivers and to restore our degraded rivers, a task now more difficult due to the growing impacts of climate change.