Tucson: Groundwater Mining Hits the Wall

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Tucson has pumped groundwater so aggressively that some areas have subsided over 8 feet, creating massive fissures that damage infrastructure and property. The city's Tucson Active Management Area faces a projected shortfall of 200,000 acre-feet by 2030 under current demand projections. Unlike Phoenix, Tucson has limited access to Colorado River water and depends more heavily on increasingly scarce groundwater resources.

The Central Arizona Project delivers some Colorado River water to Tucson, but these allocations face cuts of up to 40% under Tier 2 shortage conditions expected by 2030. Local officials estimate the city needs to develop 100,000 acre-feet of new water supplies within six years to avoid severe shortages. Tucson Water has implemented aggressive conservation programs, but population growth continues outpacing supply development efforts.