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Updates

Important news and updates about water issues in Arizona and the West, including news about the Arizona Water Blueprint and the Kyl Center for Water Policy.

Groundwater Protection in the Valley of the Sun
March 13, 2024

Because of the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act, the Valley of the Sun is one of the few areas in the world where groundwater stocks are not in steep decline.  However, the future for the Valley’s groundwater is less bright.

Groundwater Protection
Long-Term Storage Credits Story Map
July 24, 2023

For nearly thirty years, Arizona's innovative system for creating Long Term Storage Credits (LTSCs) has allowed water providers to store vast amounts of water in local aquifers. Discover the fascinating world of water banking and Long-Term Storage Credits (LTSCs) in Arizona through our engaging and informative story map.

View the Story Map

Water Bank
Untangling Housing Affordability & Groundwater Regulation
July 10, 2023

Key Points

•To ensure long-term water supplies for current residents, the state has imposed limitations on some new housing subdivisions and other types of development.

•While the new limitations may increase the costs of new homes in some parts of the Greater Phoenix area, cities have a variety of strategies available to encourage lower cost development to mitigate those impacts.

Phoenix AMA Map
New Phoenix AMA Model Shows Limits of Groundwater as an Assured Water Supply
June 1, 2023

Key Points 

• Results of a new groundwater model show that all of the physically available groundwater in the Greater Phoenix area is fully allocated. 

• This will not impact new development within the service area of water providers with a Designation of an Assured Water Supply (DAWS), the vast majority of Phoenix-area communities. In addition, the model results will not impact subdivisions with a Certificate of Assured Water Supply. 

AMA Map
Join Us for Arizona Water Blueprint Office Hours!
June 14, 2022

Learn new Arizona Water Blueprint skills and ask questions!

Through September 2022, staff from ASU's Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute will be holding monthly, virtual office hours so users can ask questions about using the Arizona Water Blueprint.

For the first 10-15 minutes of each session, Kyl Center staff will highlight a Blueprint capability and explain a data layer.

Explore Groundwater in New, Nine-Part Video Series from Arizona Project WET
May 13, 2022

The Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute is proud to partner with Arizona Project WET, which provides teachers and students statewide with accurate, comprehensible learning material about our state's water resources. Recently the Kyl Center worked with Arizona Project WET and the National Forest Foundation to produce an easy-to-understand explanation of the health and function of Arizona's watersheds.

An image of an internet browser showing Arizona Project WET's groundwater video series.
What is Water Augmentation?
March 3, 2022

The recent Colorado River shortage declaration has generated a lot of discussion about whether Arizona could and should acquire additional water supplies. Throughout early 2022, the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute will be diving into this topic. This is part one in the series, "Arizona Water Augmentation: What, Where and How?" The series is available here.

Webinar: Groundwater Level Changes in Arizona
October 29, 2021
In this one-hour webinar, the Kyl Center team demonstrates how to use the Groundwater Level App and discusses why it might be useful for you. The final 15 minutes of the webinar are used for Q&A.
What does the pending Colorado River shortage announcement mean for . . . water rights?
August 5, 2021
Leading up to the expected Colorado River shortage declaration this month, the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute will be posting information about what the shortage will mean for Arizona communities. This is part seven.