April 07, 2004

By: Orphee Loree
Website: http://www.1st-in-wellness.com

Upper San Pedro partnership water conservation strategies

Water–we turn on the tap and there it is. We flush our toilets, water our lawns, and take our showers unaware of where the water comes from or the effects of pumping more water out of the ground than is being replenished (overdraft). But the long-term effects of ground water overdrafts are well documented in other Southwestern communities. They can include increased pumping costs, decreased water quality, subsidence, vegetation changes, and loss of riparian areas.

In the Upper San Pedro Basin, members of the Upper San Pedro Partnership are working together to ensure that an adequate ground water supply is available to meet the current and future needs of area residents and the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. The Partnership is working to develop a comprehensive conservation plan to help achieve that goal and prevent the negative consequences that can occur when more water is continually being used than is being replaced.

Conservation Plan Elements The conservation plan will identify the most promising alternatives to reduce reliance on ground water reserves. The strategies that are being explored include the following:

• Reducing water consumption while continuing to meet the needs of people and nature by using conservation technologies, public policy and encouraging personal responsibility.

• Reclaiming used water resources, otherwise wasted, by irrigating with treated effluent or recharging it into the aquifer and reusing gray water.

• Augmenting existing water resources by harvesting and recharging storm water or importing water from outside the area.

The Partnership has hired specialists to determine which alternatives, within each of these broad strategies, would be most effective and affordable. This feasibility/cost/benefit analysis of 60 different alternatives, which could ultimately be included in a conservation plan, is underway. Alternatives include everything from plumbing retrofits to water use restrictions. Alternatives affecting every category of water user have been included–residential, commercial, agricultural, recreational and institutional.

At this point in the study there are no bad ideas. Each alternative is being examined to determine the estimated yield (acre-feet of water per year) and cost. As the analysis continues the data are being refined to include more detailed technical criteria, as well as non-technical aspects such as ease of implementation and administration, effects on third parties, and environmental impacts. A few alternatives will require intensive study to determine feasibility.

This feasibility/cost/benefit analysis is slated for completion in Spring 2002 and will help focus public discussion on those alternatives that offer the greatest promise from a technical perspective. The details provided in the study will enable the public and policy makers to effectively evaluate and prioritize the various alternatives.

Acting Now For the Future Given what is already known about the importance of preserving precious ground water resources, Partnership members are committed to continuing their individual conservation efforts while the conservation plan is being developed. Some of the current efforts include the following:

• Ft. Huachuca is replacing older, high-use plumbing fixtures, increasing xeriscape, irrigating with effluent and conducting surveys to find and eliminate leaks. The Fort is also designing recharge projects that are expected to return 1000 acre-feet of treated effluent and up to 250 acre feet of storm runoff to the aquifer each year.

• The City of Sierra Vista is building a multi-million dollar reclamation/recharge facility, which is eventually expected to recharge 4,000 acre-feet per year into the aquifer. The City is introducing retrofit and toilet rebate programs to help homeowners convert to low flow alternatives, as well as a leak detection program to reduce waste. These programs complement the City’s continuing support of the Water Wise education program and ongoing efforts to reduce consumption at city facilities, as well as explore new initiatives.

• The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is spearheading a number of initiatives in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area designed to increase soil and river bank stability, reduce erosion, slow surface water run-off and provide for ground water recharge. The BLM is also working with The Nature Conservancy and Ft. Huachuca to reduce the pumping of ground water near the river by purchasing conservation easements from willing sellers.

• Cochise County provides financial support to the Water Wise public education program and routinely gives Water Wise design guidelines and advice to developers. The County recently adopted a new clearing ordinance to improve erosion control and amended golf course zoning regulations to limit irrigated turf areas, encourage use of reclaimed water and minimize the clearing of native vegetation. Efforts are also being made to explore changes in the comprehensive plan and implementation of new water conservation initiatives. As the Partnership works toward its objective of developing a comprehensive conservation plan, member agencies will continue sharing information to make their current efforts as effective as possible. It is part of their commitment to working together, pooling their resources and using the best available information to achieve long-term results.

About The Author:

Orphee Loree is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-wellness.com.  Obtaining and keeping good health through healthy living, natural healing, great mental health and healthy finances.