Arizona's Coming Dilemma: Water Supply and Population Growth

The arid Southwest is experiencing tremendous population growth and economic development. An examination of population and density statistics lends itself to the superficial conclusion that this area can sustain many times the development it has already undergone. This paper explores the present and future supply and demand of water resources in order to determine whether water supply will set an upper limit on this growth. The paper sets forth ,the current law governing water rights in relation to its effect on water consumption and growth patterns. It focuses on the prospects for maintaining consumption and the present growth rates by increasing the water supply, or, in the alternative, by altering the current water rights system to prevent the exhaustion of water resources, putting a brake on increasing consumption and restoring equilibrium between supply and demand.