Economic Dependence On Water

Economic Dependence on Water

In Arizona, water is in great demand, but, the reason for the demand is not just for hydration, but from an Economic standpoint. Salt River Project is the main operator for the eight dams along the rivers in Arizona. Their dams and reservoirs provide the Phoenix metropolitan area about 75 percent of its water. With these dams in place, the U.S. Forest Service is able to operate recreational site and marinas in the reservoirs that have been created by the dams. The Arizona Game and Fish Department help protect the wildlife, and the county sheriff’s office protects the facilities. Without the water, there wouldn’t be dams to operate. With out the dams there would be a loss in jobs.

Another important dependence on the water is the agriculture and farming communities. Animals and crops require water to sustain life. For the fifth year in a row, farmers who get water from Salt River Project, which delivers water from the Salt and Verde rivers, have had their allocations cut by one-third. Unfortunately, with loss of water, farmers have reduced the amount of crops they have planted, or change what they are accustom to planting for a crop that may require less water, such as like lettuce, over corn. Farmers have also have had to sell any livestock they may own. It has become too hard on farmer to watch their livestock die from dehydration, plus the cost of feeding them has become too overwhelming.

In the cold country, cattle graze the range during the spring and summer while the ranchers tend crops, growing, cutting and storing hay. Before the snow flies, ranchers bring the cattle back, corralling them in pastures, where they will be fed all winter. Without snow, cattle can graze all year, moving from pasture to pasture. It works as long as the summer rains and mountain snows keep the forage growing. When drought strikes, so do the realities of ranching in the desert.

The federal agencies that oversee grazing pastures, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, assess the range each year and determine how many