High Heat in the Desert By Craig A. Wilson, Water Management Director
Another summer of discontent. It generally happens at about this time of year, maybe sooner than expected this year, but to all comes the realization that living in the desert means living with high heat. The Sonoran Desert can get hot, but it is not one of those deserts that makes living with the heat impossible. It is not the Kalahari. In fact, we have been surviving quite nicely with all the amenities that help desert dwellers dwell. Our streets are paved, not patches of asphalt between pot holes, the air is fairly clear given the famed Arizona road dust and water is there when we want it. The foresight of those who lived here before air conditioning was the norm made sure we had the water. We appreciate those who created the Salt River Users Association and the Central Arizona Project that brings us water from distant places to sustain our daily lives. Roosevelt Dam and its lake and distribution system are working just fine; Lake Roosevelt stands at 54% of capacity. The Colorado River is another story and that may soon pose a problem. There is a change in our desert if you have not noticed. No, it is not the greater number of people seeking to try our desert life style; they are also effected. There has been a change in the heat in our part of the desert. One can easily keep informed of the high temperatures we experience; it is hard to avoid knowing how many days the maximum air temperature has exceed 100ยบF (118 days on average). Over the last 20 years, the maximum temperature has reached 118ยบF several times. How low the temperature drops each night, i.e., the highest low temperature for the year has risen from somewhere in the 80ยบF range to somewhere in the 90ยบF range over that same period. This is the new heat in the desert. Guess what this does to your water consumption? For those with high landscape water demands, it means more water is needed to keep their landscape healthy; more water to make up for the extra evaporation at night. All the more reason to look closely at the individual irrigation system components. I just noticed one of my drip lines was slow in watering some bushes; one of the drip heads had been pulled out. This reduced the pressure in the drip line slowing the water flow from each drip head. One bush did benefit, but almost drowned from the excess water. Close inspection is needed weekly to find those errant leaks that can mess up a garden. Remember, water makes living in the desert possible - make the best of it.