The Myth of Safe Yield

Four of Arizona's Active Mangagement Areas (AMAs) have a goal of "safe-yield" -- a long-term balance between groundwater withdrawals and recharge. And yet four decades after that goal was adopted there is little expectation that any AMA will achieve safe yield over the long-term. This critical analysis examines the barriers to achieving safe-yield and offers recommendations for strengthening groundwater management in the AMAs.