Hualapai leader urges Senate to OK water plan, as wells fail in drought
WASHINGTON – Hualapai Chairman Damon Clarke told a Senate committee Wednesday that getting access to Colorado River water is "the only feasible solution" for his tribe, whose wells are failing under the stress of the continuing drought.
‘A mini-Grand Canyon’: Desert opens up as aquifers decline in Cochise County
SULPHUR SPRINGS – Cities and agricultural operations put intense pressure on groundwater supplies, but in most of Arizona, no rules govern how, when and how much can be pumped. In Cochise County, fissures are appearing as the water table falls, and some residents are pushing to establish an Active Management Area to regulate pumping.
$1 billion investment to acquire, conserve water is signed by Ducey
PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday signed a bipartisan bill allocating more than $1 billion for water projects and reestablishing the authority of the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona.
National park tourism, spending recovers from pandemic but still lags
WASHINGTON - National parks in Arizona welcomed 10.7 million visitors who pumped $1.12 billion into local economies in 2021, both sharp increases from the pandemic-induced lows of the year before, but still shy or pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent report.
Colorado River water managers face federal call for unprecedented cuts
Water users in the overtaxed Colorado River Basin have fewer than 60 days to come up with a plan to keep 2 million to 4 million acre-feet in the system to prop up Lakes Mead and Powell, and if they can’t, the Bureau of Reclamation says it will take action.
Firefighters get pay boost, say more needed as wildfires keep growing
WASHINGTON - Advocates welcomed the announcement that federal firefighter pay will increase by as much as $20,000 this year, a potentially "life-changing" step for the chronically underpaid crews. But they say more still needs to be done to attract and retain firefighters.
‘Springs are sentinels’: NAU team studies how spring water affects ecosystems
FLAGSTAFF – Spring water is a huge part of the Arizona ecosystem, feeding all the state’s perennial streams. NAU professor Abe Springer, who has been studying springs and groundwater for over two decades, talks about how they affect all the inhabitants of Arizona.
Orange goes green: ASU mall earns certification for sustainable landscapes
TEMPE – Outdoor spaces can be certified as sustainable under the SITES program. California, Texas and other states have been quick to adopt the standards, but Arizona has not. ASU is an exception.
As Pipeline Fire burns 20,000 acres north of Flagstaff, officials share safety tips
PHOENIX – The Pipeline Fire has burned over 20,000 acres just north of Flagstaff and prompted some evacuations. Before the fire broke out, the National Fire Prevention Education Team was in Arizona to talk about what Arizonans can do to prevent wildland fires, including being intentional about where you park and how you secure trailer chains.
Advocates hope endangered status for wildflower helps save San Pedro, too
WASHINGTON – Federal officials this week declared the Arizona eryngo, a rare wildflower, an endangered species, a move advocates hope will also help boost efforts to save the San Pedro River where the plant is found.
Access to clean water, rights to Colorado River are high priorities for tribes
Access to clean water is a chronic issue for tribal communities in the Colorado River Basin, who also have been denied their rights to water from the river for a century. Two recent moves intend to address those inequities.
Climate change threatens fair and safe Winter Olympics in the future
FLAGSTAFF – Twenty-one cities around the world have hosted the Winter Olympics in the past 98 years. But by 2080, only one of these cities may be able to provide the conditions required for high level competition that’s fair and safe.
