| D0 | 2023-07-13 | summer | 0 | - Relief, Response & Restrictions
- Water Supply & Quality
| Natural grass banned in front of new homes in Scottsdale, Arizona | The Scottsdale City Council unanimously agreed to ban natural grass in front of future single-family homes as the water shortage in the region made it essential to conserve water. The new ordinance takes effect for new houses constructed or permitted after August 15.
In June, limits were placed on construction in the Phoenix area, due to groundwater depletion.
CNN (Atlanta, Ga.), July 13, 2023
Sectors: Relief, Response & Restrictions Water Supply & Quality
USDM Levels: D0 |
| D0 | 2023-02-15 | winter | 0 | - Relief, Response & Restrictions
- Water Supply & Quality
| Drought Stage 1 declaration in Avondale, Arizona | Stage 1 of Avondale’s Drought Preparedness Plan was declared on Feb. 15 at the recommendation of the city’s Water Resources Division. Under Drought Stage 1, the city of Avondale will strive to increase water conservation in the city’s operations and provide more awareness and education to water customers. The prompt to move to State 1 of the Drought Preparedness Plan was based on the possibility of minimal water shortages or drought conditions within the next year. About a third of Avondale’s water comes from the Colorado River, which was in a Tier 2a shortage. The city anticipates additional reductions in supply from the Colorado River late in 2023 or 2024.
West Valley View (Goodyear, Ariz.), March 6, 2023
Sectors: Relief, Response & Restrictions Water Supply & Quality
USDM Levels: D0 |
| D0 | 2023-01-01 | winter | 0 | - Society & Public Health
- Relief, Response & Restrictions
- Water Supply & Quality
| Residents of Rio Verde, Arizona supplied with water from Scottsdale, per new legislation | Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed into law legislation that obliges Scottsdale to provide Rio Verde Foothills with access to city water. The goal of the law was to ensure that small communities like Rio Verde Foothills continue to have water access.
The Associated Press, June 19, 2023
Residents of Rio Verde Foothills have been without water since the start of 2023 after Scottsdale stopped the sale of water to the unincorporated community. While Rio Verde homeowners can purchase water from anywhere, of course, but distance to transport the water makes it much more expensive than it was to buy from Scottsdale. Rio Verde met March 28 to try to find a way to provide water for homeowners who do not have their own wells.
AZFamily.com (Phoenix, Ariz.), March 29, 2023
An Arizona judge will not compel Scottsdale to resume allowing water haulers to sell Scottsdale water to residents in Rio Verde Foothills as the residents can still obtain water from elsewhere.
The Associated Press (New York), Jan 24, 2023
Some 500 homeowners in the Rio Verde Foothills, Arizona sued Scottsdale and demand that their access to water be restored.
“The city of Scottsdale has placed plaintiffs and their families under an unconscionable amount of stress and anxiety by discontinuing their domestic water supply,” according to the lawsuit.
Since Jan. 1, residents of Rio Verde have not been permitted to purchase water from Scottsdale. The city has warned for years that it may not be able to provide water for indefinitely. Rio Verde residents can purchase water from another source.
The Associated Press (New York), Jan 17, 2023
Homes in Rio Verde, Arizona can no longer get water deliveries from Scottsdale as drought and limited water supplies forced Scottsdale to conserve water to have enough for its own customers. Rio Verde homeowners must search for a provider to deliver water, which requires long distances to have the water delivered and, consequently, paying more for the water. One homeowner’s water bill rose from $220 per month to $660 per month.
The New York Times (N.Y.), Jan 16, 2023
Sectors: Society & Public Health Relief, Response & Restrictions Water Supply & Quality
USDM Levels: D0 D2 |
| D0 | 2022-03-31 | spring | 0 | | Fewer Arizona wildflowers in 2022 | After a very dry winter, Arizona's wildflower season is below average. Although some rain fell late in the winter, it arrived after the germination period, leaving wildflowers rather scarce this spring.
Cronkite News (Ariz.), March 31, 2022
Sectors: Plants & Wildlife
USDM Levels: D0 D1 D2 D3 |
| D0 | 2022-01-01 | winter | 0 | - Agriculture
- Society & Public Health
- Relief, Response & Restrictions
- Water Supply & Quality
| Arizona farmers adjust to receiving less Colorado River water | Arizona’s 900+ Pinal County farmers will receive less water in 2022. To compensate for getting less Colorado River water, irrigation districts were using state funds to drill new wells, but growers will still have to fallow land. Forty million dollars has been provided by the state to drill new wells.
Growers from west of Phoenix to the Tucson area will lose water, but Pinal County farmers will fare worst as 30% to 40% of the farmland in Pinal County is expected to be fallowed. Dairy farmers will be affected by the reduction in water supplies and will produce less milk. More fallowed land means more particulate dust in the air, which is already a problem.
AZ Central (Phoenix, Ariz.), Jan 3, 2022
Sectors: Agriculture Society & Public Health Relief, Response & Restrictions Water Supply & Quality
USDM Levels: D0 D1 D3 |
| D0 | 2020-05-12 | spring | 0 | - Fire
- Relief, Response & Restrictions
| Fire restrictions in Arizona | Stage 2 fire restrictions took effect on all Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation lands in Arizona, due to persistent dry conditions and heightened fire danger, as noted in a joint press release issued by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.
Tonto National Forest also adopted Stage 2 fire restrictions, in accordance with DFFM, BLM and BOR.
KTAR 620 News Radio (Phoenix, Ariz.), May 12, 2020
Sectors: Fire Relief, Response & Restrictions
USDM Levels: D0 D2 None |
| D0 | 2019-10-06 | fall | 0 | - Plants & Wildlife
- Tourism & Recreation
| Dry monsoon cut into mushroom production in Arizona's forests | Mushrooms in the mountain forests of southern Arizona were sparser than usual after the relatively dry monsoon season, leaving mushroom hunters disappointed. Scarcely any mushrooms were found in the northern part of the state near Flagstaff.
Pinal Central (Ariz.), Oct. 6, 2019
Sectors: Plants & Wildlife Tourism & Recreation
USDM Levels: D0 D1 D2 |
| D0 | 2017-10-01 | fall | 0 | - Fire
- Relief, Response & Restrictions
| Dry weather led to altered prescribed burn schedule in Arizona's Coconino National Forest | Extremely dry fuels in the Coconino National Forest prompted the U.S. Forest Service crews in October to burn at night when the relative humidity was to keep the fire from getting too hot, according to Victor Morfin, the forest’s fuels specialist. Crews also completed burns on about 50 percent more acreage than usual.
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com & KPNX-TV NBC 12 Phoenix (Ariz.), Dec. 26, 2017
Sectors: Fire Relief, Response & Restrictions
USDM Levels: D0 |
| D0 | 2017-10-01 | fall | 0 | | More fire activity near Flagstaff, Arizona, Coconino National Forest | The U.S. Forest Service observed 53 human-caused fires since Oct. 1, 2017, which is slightly higher than normal, according to the Coconino National Forest fire staff officer. The Flagstaff Fire Department also saw an increase in fire activity from October through December as the unusually dry fall and winter elevated the fire danger in the region.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, Ariz.), Jan. 19, 2018
Sectors: Fire
USDM Levels: D0 |
| D0 | 2010-06-23 | summer | 0 | - Fire
- Relief, Response & Restrictions
| Fire restrictions in the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests | Fire restrictions took effect in the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests on June 23, due to elevated fire risk, according to the Prescott National Forest website. Fires, campfires, charcoal, coal, and wood stoves are only permitted in developed campgrounds. Smoking is allowed only inside of closed vehicles, buildings, or at developed campgrounds. In the Prescott National Forest, campfires are not allowed at the designated dispersed camp sites in the Prescott Basin. The restrictions may be lifted if sufficient rain falls, relieving the fire danger.
Sectors: Fire Relief, Response & Restrictions
USDM Levels: D0 D1 |
| D0 | 2010-06-11 | summer | 0 | - Fire
- Relief, Response & Restrictions
| Fire restrictions for the Tonto National Forest | Fire restrictions are in effect for the Tonto National Forest as heat, drought, and elevated fire danger prompted officials with the U.S. Forest Service to take precautions. Charcoal and camp fires may not be lit or allowed to burn within the forest. Other types of open flame are also prohibited. The restriction on burning will not be lifted until the fire danger abates.
Sectors: Fire Relief, Response & Restrictions
USDM Levels: D0 None |
| D0 | 2010-05-03 | spring | 0 | | Yuma desalting plant to provide water for Mexico | The Yuma desalting plant started up on May 3 to begin a one-year trial to supply water to Mexico rather than taking roughly 9.5 billion gallons from Lake Mead for this purpose. The goal is to ease the strain on the water supply for states that rely on the Colorado River since the area has not received adequate rainfall. It will cost $23.2 million over the next year to run the desalting plant, with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation covering $9 million, Arizona paying $1.4 million, and California and Nevada covering the remainder of the expense.
Sectors: Water Supply & Quality
USDM Levels: D0 |
| D0 | 2009-05-14 | spring | 0 | - Fire
- Relief, Response & Restrictions
| Fire restrictions for Tonto National Forest | Fire restrictions take effect on May 14 in Tonto National Forest due to the rising fire danger, making the construction and use of a campfire or charcoal grill illegal.
Sectors: Fire Relief, Response & Restrictions
USDM Levels: D0 D1 |
| D0 | 2009-05-09 | spring | 0 | - Tourism & Recreation
- Water Supply & Quality
| New Pearce Ferry Rapid | A new class 4 rapid has recently developed on the Colorado River in the Pearce Ferry area as the river level continues to decline, causing problems for river rafters. A park planner for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area stated that the riffle has become much rougher in the past 18 months.
Sectors: Tourism & Recreation Water Supply & Quality
USDM Levels: D0 |
| D0 | 2009-04-15 | spring | 0 | - Business & Industry
- Tourism & Recreation
| Whitewater rafting on the Salt River ended early | Commercial rafting on the Salt River ended early as drought reduced the volume of water in the river. While the rafting season normally ends by the third week of May, rafting ended at least a month early on April 15.
Sectors: Business & Industry Tourism & Recreation
USDM Levels: D0 |