Drought has triggered water cutbacks for central Arizona farmers that could continue into the foreseeable future, but Arizona’s water future is not as bleak as it seems.
And although agriculture uses a lot of water compared to some other users, it also helps keep food costs down.
Farmers use far less water than they did decades ago, said Sarah Porter, a water policy analyst for the Morrison Institute.
She said during a talk for Arizona Humanities last week that the state has made improvements in water conservation across the board, which has allowed Arizona to grow without increasing water consumption.
“Now, in 2022, we are using slightly less water as an entire state, than we used in the mid-50s," Porter said.
She said that although changes to agriculture are likely, it’s too soon to say exactly what they will be.
