Arizona is in the middle of a severe drought, and the rest of the US is following. Many people are wondering why this drought is occurring across the US. This drought was caused by a combination of many factors including global warming, ignorance of water issues, and a lack of snow/rain in the desert.
According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, “Drought is a natural occurrence and Arizona is especially sensitive to drought since water is scarce here even during average years. Population growth continues to increase the demand for water. Drought can impact domestic water supplies, ranching and farming production, vegetation, forest health, and wildlife populations.” This essentially states that because of Arizona’s natural location and decades-long drought as well as the increasing population and emigration from other states the demand for water has increased creating a water shortage (“Drought Frequently Asked Questions”).
Arizona is also receiving some water cuts from the Colorado river which only contributes to the problem (“Officials impose new cuts to Colorado River water use in Arizona.). We as a society in Arizona were very much aware water would become a problem this fast because we expected this to happen. But while we expected it to happen we did not expect it to happen this quickly and have been unprepared. An excerpt from a PBS article says “Three main factors contribute to the natural phenomenon of drought: snowpack, soil moisture, and temperatures. The Western states depend on snowpack for a good portion of their water supply” (Jones). Because we are a desert, we do not get a lot of snowpack. Because of this, we have already lost 1 major water source. Not much water makes it around in the air with the annual temperature being so high and the air being so dry. We imagine this is a problem in many places with an arid climate.
The lack of water is becoming an increasing problem in not just Arizona but the rest of the continental US and the world (Heggie). In fact, according to Jon Heggie, “As the U.S. water supply decreases, demand is set to increase. On average, each American uses 80 to 100 gallons of water every day, with the nation’s estimated total daily usage topping 345 billion gallons” (Heggie)
Additionally, the drought has been linked to climate change which has led to warm winters and hotter summers. Climate change is a naturally occurring event however it is being amplified by human activity such as burning fossil fuels. As a result of the droughts water usage restrictions have been put in place, for example in 2015 Gov. Jerry Brown mandated that all Californians cut back their water use by 25 percent.