Arizona Water Conservation Factsheets ... Did You Know?
Groundwater Conservation Can Protect Arizona’s Riparian Resources
In the Southwest, famous for its dry climate, riparian areas—ecosystems supported by rivers and streams—occupy only a small fraction of the landscape but serve as lifelines, supporting most of the region’s biodiversity. Streams that flow year-round are rare in Arizona. Approximately 94% of the state’s streams flow seasonally or only in response to rainfall events, but they perform many of the same functions as perennial streams and play an important role in the watershed by providing connectivity, serving as wildlife corridors, supporting vegetation, and more.
In complex hydrologic systems, many factors influence stream health, including groundwater, which can make important contributions to streamflow. The amount of groundwater flowing in a stream is known as “baseflow,” a common measure of stream health. Excessive groundwater pumping can rob a stream of its baseflow, even if the pumping occurs far away from the stream. Conservation strategies on the watershed and in the stream channel that slow rainfall runoff and allow more water to seep into the ground can increase streamflow and improve the health of riparian ecosystems.
Check out the WRRC’s Riparian & Stream Water Conservation Strategies Factsheet to learn more about Arizona’s rivers and streams and how to protect them.