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| Will San Pedro become a ‘river no more?’ |
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| Written by Evan Pellegrino |
| Tuesday, 27 April 2010 22:31 |
 The San Pedro River, one of the last undammed and free-flowing rivers in the Southwest, is transforming dramatically – a result researchers say is due to climate change and increased demand on the groundwater supply.
With the future state of the river in question, the same holds true for all that the river nourishes as a lifeline flowing through Southeast Arizona, including thousands of species of plants and animals, as well as humans. Historically, the San Pedro has flowed up from Mexico year round. In the late 1960s the river's flow was strong enough for it to be considered an option to support some of the water needs of Tucson, the second-most populated city in the state. Today, as the river's flow continues to decline, some researchers worry it indicates that Cochise County's groundwater supply eventually will not be able to support more growth in the region. Thomas Maddock, head of the University of Arizona Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, was asked by the county to file a report on the state of the river in the 1980s, using the health of the San Pedro as a model to measure the health of groundwater. In 1990, Maddock and his colleagues predicted the San Pedro River system would dry up in10 to 20 years. "It dried up in about 15," Maddock said. "It's not dead yet, but it's certainly not in the best of health." Climate change has caused increasing temperatures and less precipitation, especially in the Southwest, he said. "I think it's a problem that's going to be faced all over the world. You have less precipitation, that means less water in the river, less recharge in the mountains and less groundwater." The San Pedro River is not the first in Arizona to experience change. Both the Gila and Santa Cruz rivers share similar histories. "We know how this story ends if no action is taken," said Thomas Meixner, associate professor in the UA's Department of Hydrology and Water Resources. "The concern is that the San Pedro could end up like the Santa Cruz—a river no more." View San Pedro River in a larger map Related stories: Research shows trend of flow slackening More water pumped away than replenished Rancher sees conservation a priority A drying river threatens environment, ecology
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