The Desert’s Devotion
Davidson Creek
Cienega Creek Natural Preserve, AZ
Arizona’s Sonoran Desert averages 9 to 12 inches of precipitation annually. Heavy downpours can turn a dry, dusty desert wash into an ephemeral raging torrent. Creeks like Cave, Davidson, and Sonoita swell into larger rivers within the Gila River watershed and eventually rush into the Colorado River near Yuma, AZ. Not all the water that falls as rain becomes part of a river: some of this surface water, instead, seeps hundreds of feet into the bedrock, recharging ancient aquifers. This natural underground storage quenches over 40% of Arizona’s water demands. Refilling deep aquifers takes a long time (hence the “ancient” reference), and the ongoing drought has slowed the rate of replenishment. Groundwater pumping to support expansions in municipal, agricultural, and industrial uses has also caused compaction and subsidence. The water table continues to drop. To safeguard surface and groundwater sources, the Arizona State Legislature continues to establish its own set of usage regulations. It’s working! Through mandated conservation, monitoring, and reclamation, studies show that, while Phoenix and Tucson experienced 16% and 13% population growth respectively in between 2000-2015, per capita water use decreased 27% and 28% respectively.
Signed fine art prints available.
Please contact Colleen Miniuk at cms@cms-photo.com for pricing on a variety of sizing, printing, and finishing options.