Water Resources of Arizona

Effects of Past and Future Groundwater Development on the Hydrologic System of Verde Valley, Arizona

Like many parts of the West, water demands in the central Arizonas Verde Valley have increased because of the growing population in the area. Water is pumped from the ground by northern Arizona communities and diverted from the Verde River to meet municipal and agricultural water needs, which has raised concerns about past, present, and future human-induced stresses on water resources.

U.S. Geological Survey hydrologists with the Arizona Water Science Center used a regional groundwater flow model to simulate the effects of groundwater pumping on streamflow in the Verde River. The study found that streamflow in the Verde River between 1910 and 2005 had been reduced as the result of streamflow depletion by groundwater pumping. Through a process known as capture, groundwater pumping can intercept groundwater that would otherwise have flowed to connected streams or draws flows from streams into the aquifer. Additionally, using three hypothetical scenarios for a period from 2005 to 2110, the study's findings suggest that streamflow reductions will continue and may increase in the future.

The full report (USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5029), an accompanying fact sheet (USGS Fact Sheet 2013-3016), and the media release are available online.

Arizona Water Science Center Portals

Real-Time Streamflow
Data Portal
Access real-time streamflow data using an interactive map!

Arizona Wildfires - Response, Assessment, and Monitoring by the USGS, AzWSC

Hydrologic Conditions

Drought Conditions for Selected Basins The USGS, in cooperation with the Governor's Drought Task Force, has developed a series of maps showing drought intensity for selected drainage basins in Arizona. To view historical maps, learn how the maps are developed, and download images, visit our drought page.

Drought conditions for June 2013 Close Click to view larger image

Historic Hydrologic Events in Arizona

Arizona Groundwater Conditions Interactive Map

Arizona Water Science Center Highlights

AzWSC hydrologist Fred Tillman is interviewed on NPR about groundwater levels in Arizona.
(For more information, see USGS SIR 2011-5071, Water Availability and Use Pilot: Methods Development for a Regional Assessment of Groundwater Availability, Southwest Alluvial Basins, Arizona)

Microgravity Measurement for Groundwater Analysis
A video discussing the Gravity Meters used at the USGS Arizona Water Science Center.

Seepage Investigation: Clear Creek and Little Colorado River
The USGS Arizona Water Science Center performed a seepage investigation on reaches of Chevelon Creek, Clear Creek, and a reach of the Little Colorado River during the fall of 2010. The investigation is in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Navajo Region and is part of a larger program that monitors the Coconino Aquifer in Northeastern Arizona. The video describes the process of a seepage investigation. In the video, USGS hydrologists and hydrographers measure discharge and water-quality parameters on Clear Creek and the Little Colorado River to better understand and characterize the Coconino Aquifer.

USGS CoreCast—Streamgages: The Silent Superhero
Whether you drink water from your tap, use electricity or canoe down your local river, chances are you benefit from USGS streamgage information. So what is a streamgage and what does it do for you? This CoreCast episode gives you the inside scoop on your silent superhero.

USGS Streamflow Measurement at Pinto Creek near Miami, Arizona — January 28, 2010
USGS streamgagers, Mike Sanders, Arthur Rees, and Mike Schilling, are servicing the Pinto Creek near Miami, Arizona streamflow-gaging station (09498502) and making a streamflow measurement on January 28, 2010. Flow was measured to be 207 cubic feet per second (CFS) on the 28th but peaked earlier on the 22nd at an estimated 7,400 cfs. Debris from the flood flow can be seen in trees and on the over bank areas.

Video showing Simulated Zones of Capture of Surface Water by Groundwater Pumping, upper part of the San Pedro Basin
USGS Hydrologists Stan Leake, Don Pool, and Jim Leenhouts used a groundwater flow model of the upper part of the San Pedro Basin in Arizona to produce capture maps (Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5207) to help managers understand the possible timing of effects groundwater pumping in the lower basin fill has on streams, springs, and evapotranspiration by riparian plants. Maps in the report for pumping times of 10 years and 50 years show patterns that reflect the fraction of pumping that is simulated to be a reduction of water available to the riparian system. For example, on the map for a withdrawal time of 10 years, a capture-fraction zone of 0.5-0.6 shows areas where capture or depletion of surface water and evapotranspiration will be 50-60 percent of the well pumping rate at that time. The accompanying video takes the analysis one step further by showing how some of these simulated capture zones evolve over a 100-year period of pumping. In this example, capture zones in ranges of 0.5-0.6, 0.6-0.7, 0.7-0.8, 0.8-0.9, and 0.9-1.0 are shown.

Video of Yuma Field Office staff demonstrating acoustic technology to members of Arizona Floodplain Managers Association on November 7, 2008
The USGS Yuma Field Office, which is headed by Hugh Darling, has a young and enthusiastic staff implementing new technology to improve the precision of data collected. The staff has embraced hydroacoustics using both Acoustic Doppler Velocity Meters (ADVM) and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP). Nearly 100 percent of stream flow measurements made by the Yuma Field Office staff are made with acoustic instruments while using current meters as quality assurance. One of the most critical roles the Yuma Field office plays is the quantification of flow in the Colorado River, its tributaries, and diversions. This video shows the Yuma Field Office staff demonstrating acoustic technology to members of Arizona Floodplain Managers Association on November 7, 2008.

Video of Havasu Canyon after August 17, 2008 high-flow event
The video describes observations made by AzWSC scientists on the high-flow event that occurred around August 17, 2008, in Havasu Canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation, northern Arizona. The Havasupai Indian Tribe lives in the remote Havasu Canyon, a tributary canyon to Grand Canyon National Park, and is only accessible by foot, horseback, or helicopter. The high-flow event caused massive erosion below the village of Supai, resulting in the creation of new water falls and the cessation of Navajo Falls. AzWSC scientists made assessments of the high-flow event on August 28th and 29th, 2008, and made an indirect measurement of the peak flow that passed through the village of Supai. A preliminary calculation of the peak flow is 6,000 cubic feet per second. (August 29, 2008 — narrated by Greg Fisk and Steve Wiele)

Recent Publications

Fact Sheet 2013-3016 Effects of Past and Future Groundwater Development on the Hydrologic System of Verde Valley, Arizona by Bradley D. Garner and D.R. Pool

Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5029 Human Effects on the Hydrologic System of the Verde Valley, Central Arizona, 19102005 and 20052110, Using a Regional Groundwater Flow Model by Bradley D. Garner, D.R. Pool, Fred D. Tillman, and Brandon T. Forbes

Open-File Report 20121196 Groundwater, Surface-Water, and Water-Chemistry Data from the C-Aquifer Monitoring Program, Northeastern Arizona, 200511 by Christopher R. Brown and Jamie P. Macy

Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5275 Hydrogeologic Framework and Estimates of Groundwater Storage for the Hualapai Valley, Detrital Valley, and Sacramento Valley Basins, Mohave County, Arizona by Margot Truini, L. Sue Beard, Jeffrey Kennedy, and David W. Anning

Open-File Report 20131029 Water-Quality Data Collected to Determine the Presence, Source, and Concentration of Lead in the Drinking Water Supply at Pipe Spring National Monument, Northern Arizona by Jamie P. Macy, David Sharrow, and Joel Unema

Open-File Report 20121237 Establishment of Sentinel Sampling Sites to Monitor Changes in Water and Sediment Quality and Biota Related to Visitor Use at Lake Powell, Arizona and Utah, 20042006 by Robert J. Hart, Howard E. Taylor, and G.M. Anderson

Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5276 Preliminary Hydrogeologic Assessment near Tassi and Pakoon Springs, Western Part of Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona by Margot Truini

Fact Sheet 2013-3001 Understanding and Managing the Effects of Groundwater Pumping on Streamflow by Stanley A. Leake and Paul M. Barlow

Scientific Investigations Map 3234 Maps of Estimated Nitrate and Arsenic Concentrations for Basin-Fill Aquifers of the Southwestern United States by Kimberly R. Beisner, David W. Anning, Angela P. Paul, Tim S. McKinney, Jena M. Huntington, Laura M. Bexfield, and Susan A. Thiros

Circular 1376 Streamflow Depletion by WellsUnderstanding and Managing the Effects of Groundwater Pumping on Streamflow by Paul M. Barlow and Stanley A. Leake