Eloy and Maricopa-Stanfield Basin Study
The Eloy and Maricopa-Stanfield Basin Study (EMSBS) is the most recent study to be awarded and is co-sponsored by Reclamation and the Pinal Partnership. The grant was submitted in 2017 and work began in early 2019.
The study area consists of the Eloy and the Maricopa-Stanfield sub-basins, a region dominated by agricultural activity with the primary source of water being mined groundwater.
Access to renewable supplies for irrigation districts in the area will decrease in the future and additional groundwater pumping will be necessary to meet demands, resulting in increased water level declines and land subsidence. In the event that additional groundwater pumping is insufficient to meet agricultural demand, some acreage is anticipated to be taken out of production. Strategies are being developed to adapt to, and mitigate, these future conditions. For the municipal sector this includes securing additional renewable supplies and promoting effluent reuse through direct potable reuse. For the agricultural sector, strategies will likely involve reducing the extent of irrigation in order to ensure a persistent and vibrant industry.
This study is anticipated to be completed in May, 2022.
