Stories - AZPM

A harvesting machine pulls pecans from trees at Green Valley Pecan Company in Sahaurita.

Arizona restricts farming to protect groundwater supply

The Arizona Department of Water Resources this week put a limit on the amount of land that can be watered, designating the Hualapai Valley as an irrigation non-expansion area.

US Senate advances water bills for tribes in Arizona

The bills now head to the U.S. House.

John Farley, director of fire test operations at the Naval Research Laboratory, tests the effectiveness of aqueous film-forming foam by spraying it on a gasoline fire. The test took place at the laboratory in Chesapeake Beach, Md. Oct. 25, 2019.

ADEQ to test all small water systems for PFAS

An EPA grant will allow the state to test water from 1,200 providers.

After two decades of drought, parts of Lake Mead that were once underwater have been exposed as the lake falls to historically low levels.

The Buzz: Looking back on 2022

Newsworthy interviews and topics that we addressed this year.

Residents of the Douglas and Willcox Basins say they're drilling deeper and more often for water as their wells dry up as big companies expand their operations and dig even deeper into the shared water supply.

Preserving parts of Cochise County's water future

In November, voters split on future management of two major basins.

The Central Arizona Project moves water from the Colorado River to southern Arizona. July 2021

San Carlos Apache agree to lease water for Arizona community

Without the agreement the town would have no water.

Climate change has cut deep into the Southwest's water supply, and policymakers in the seven states that share the river have failed to agree on a plan to significantly reduce demand. That has left Lake Powell, held back by Glen Canyon Dam, at less than a quarter of its capacity.

The “power of aridity” is bringing a Colorado River dam to its knees

The Glen Canyon Dam faces threats that could soon render it useless after decades as a symbol of American engineering achievement.

The Verde River near the site of a dam that was removed in 2022.

The Buzz takes a trip down the Verde River

Meet a man who has made saving this unique waterway his life's work

A crew from Verde Earth Technologies chips arundo in Cornville, Ariz.

Crews remove invasive plants from Arizona waterways to conserve water, better ecosystem

Efforts along the Verde River and its tributaries to remove introduced plants can prevent monocultures while also getting water to a Phoenix-area reservoir.

This yard in Mesa was converted to desert landscaping under the city’s Grass-to-Xeriscape incentive program. September 2022.

As the drought grinds on, Maricopa County homeowners take advantage of xeriscape incentives

Megadrought and low runoff conditions accelerated by climate change have resulted in record low water levels in Lakes Powell and Mead

Lee's Ferry, pictured here, serves as the point where negotiators of the Colorado River Compact divided the river into two basins.

The Colorado River Compact turns 100 years old

The question is, is it still working?

Since the 1980s Tucsonans have replaced their green lawns with decomposed granite and opted for plants like palo verde trees and cacti, which can endure long periods of drought and extreme heat.

Phoenix and Las Vegas agree to get rid of decorative grass

The worsening drought brought the agreement from 30 western water agencies.

The revived "heritage" stretch of the Santa Cruz River now flows north of Starr Pass/22nd Street all the way to Congress Street.

Insects find a new home on Santa Cruz River

It has been two years since a new species has moved to the area.

Reclaimed Water

Ever wonder how sewage gets turned into clean water? Here is a behind the scenes peek at Tucson Water’s reclaimed water system and what that process looks like

Ex-Reclamation commissioner to head CAP

Burman led the Bureau of Reclamation from 2017 to early 2021 under the Trump administration.

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