08/04/2026
New research just dropped on Arizona’s water future. Here’s what it found.
Arizona is losing more than 95% of its rain and snow to evaporation before it ever reaches an aquifer.
For three and a half years, 40 researchers from the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University studied exactly why, mapping water across all 51 of Arizona’s groundwater basins to find where recharge is actually possible.
What they found: real, scalable solutions already at work, like stormwater infrastructure in Phoenix and forest thinning in Arizona’s ponderosa pine forests, plus a step-by-step framework any water manager in the state can use to find where recharge is possible near them.
Read the full ATUR report now to see where recharge is possible near you: ccass.arizona.edu/ATUR/final-report (or link in bio)
Full citation:
Jacobs, K., Gupta, N. & Hinkley, M. (Eds.). (June 2026). Arizona Tri-University Recharge and Water Reliability Project Report to the Arizona Department of Water Resources. University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.
Graphics in this video, sourced from the ATUR report:
📊 Figure 2.2. Map of Arizona’s 51 ADWR-designated groundwater basins (Figure Credit: Lima)
📊 Figure 2.3. Mean annual precipitation, evapotranspiration, recharge, and runoff across Arizona’s groundwater basins (Source: A. Gupta, 2026; Figure Credit: Hinkley)
📊 Figure 2.4. “Hydrologic Cycle Components Across Arizona and Physiographic Provinces” (Source: A. Gupta, 2026; Figure Credit: Mohsenzadeh Karimi)
🌲 Figure 3.3. Forest thinning and snowpack/recharge diagram (Source: Broxton et al., 2025; Figure Credit: Howe)
