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Q.       The Fort has legal requirements to make sure there is a balance in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed between water pumping and water recharge by the year 2011.  What is the City doing to help meet that deadline?

A.       Of course the City can only have an impact on water pumping and recharge within City limits.  With that said, the City has taken many actions to help the Fort reach its water balance goals.  In fact, 70% of the active water mitigation efforts in the Subwatershed have been taken by the City of Sierra Vista.  (See how it all fits together – live link to drop)  Those actions include effluent recharge, detention/retention basin recharge, new water conservation codes, water conservation education, and water rebates, to name just a few.  Check out the details! 

 

Q.       Why do the deficit numbers keep changing?  Doesn’t someone know what the deficit really is? 

A.       The deficit (the difference between water pumping and water recharge) is a "best guess" based on available science as coordinated by the Upper San Pedro Partnership.  The hydrology of the sub-watershed is a complex issue and as new science is developed, it is applied to the water budget, recharge values and other variables.  Each year, scientists learn more about the sub-watershed as a system.  Often, previous assumptions and values change based on that new knowledge, and the deficit number is adjusted accordingly.  For all of its reporting, the City of Sierra Vista uses data made available by the Upper San Pedro Partnership.  Click here for a better understanding of water recharge and the deficit.

 

Q.       What is being done about our rapid growth?

A.       Sierra Vista’s growth rate just doesn’t support the premise that the area is growing rapidly.  In fact, the City’s growth rate is slow to moderate when compared to overall growth throughout Arizona and the rest of the southwest.  As the 15th largest city in the State, Sierra Vista's growth from 2000 to 2005 was 15.7% according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security, during which time many other Arizona cities grew anywhere from 25% to 54%.  Sierra Vista’s annual growth rate has averaged approximately 2.5% over the last decade.  It is interesting to note too that even as Sierra Vista’s population has grown, the amount of water used by Sierra Vista residents has decreased (read more on GPCD).

 

Q.       Who is the largest water user in our sub-watershed?

A.       The answer isn’t really a “who”, but a “what” because the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) is by far the largest water user in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed.  The most current scientific studies indicate that more water is used by the SPRNCA than was formerly thought, placing estimates on the SPRNCA’s water use at between 14,000 and 15,000 acre feet per year which includes groundwater outflows, stream base flows, and evapotranspiration by the vegetation along the river.  Although this new science has not yet been officially published by the Upper San Pedro Partnership, it is important to note that if these estimates are finalized, it will mean that the river itself uses ten times more water every year than is pumped annually for all water uses by Fort Huachuca. 

 

Q.            Without having any control over the amount of water used by the SPRNCA, can the Fort’s water goals really be met?

A.       It will take a great deal of commitment by all water users in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed.  To date, most of the measurable water mitigation actions are being taken by the City and Fort.  Although the City will continue to set the pace, city government has no authority to mitigate water use outside the city limits.  Water-users outside the city limits must expand their efforts significantly if the 2011 deadline is to be achieved.