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The Tucson Gardener |
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Water The desert doesn't have an abundance of rivers and lakes. Tucson is surrounded by rugged mountain ranges to create a water shed that includes the large, sandy bottomed Santa Cruz, Tanque Verde, Pantano, Rillito, and Canyon del Oro rivers. But all those rivers only run after severe thunderstorms, prolonged rains or if there's runoff from melting snow. Most of that water soon makes its way underground where it gets pumped out to quench an ever growing and thirsty city. Lots more water gets pumped out of the aquifer than goes back in as Tucson and surrounding communities continue to grow. Advanced planning dictated that the desert dwellers would need more water and along came the Central Arizona Project (CAP) to bring Colorado River water to Tucson. Expensive, and as corroded pipe owners know, not without problems. Yet, Tucson grows. Low flow toilets, drip irrigation, xeriscaping, reclaimed water irrigation and common sense are becoming a necessary part of desert living. If you really wanted to save water do you need a vegetable garden? The grocery store sells vegetables and fruits, why not get them there? Do you need a swimming pool in your back yard, a lawn, a grassy fairway to play golf, and both an evaporative cooler and air conditioning unit for your home? We all need some sort of distraction now and then whether it's a hobby, entertainment, exercise, a chance to relax or a way to save some money. And the majority of us don't want somebody telling us what we can or can't have. Water in the desert is a luxury. The desert gardener needs to consider water conservation whether it's by growing native or drought tolerant plants, using drip irrigation, watering wisely, using reclaimed water, or making the best use of a summer's monsoon runoff. In future issues of The Tucson Gardener we'll try to explore ways for water wise gardening. Until then, don't take the wet stuff for granted and try not to waste it. (1998) |
