Arizona's Hundred-Year Answer to a Thirsty Future

It is fair to ask whether it’s wise to buy a home in Arizona when the state's apparently running out of water. With the Colorado River in the headlines so often, it’s a common refrain. But surprisingly, according to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the state uses less water today than it did in 1957, when only a fraction of today’s population lived here. This is largely because farms, which still use about 72% of the state’s water, have cut back by farming fewer acres and using methods like laser-leveled fields that spread irrigation water more evenly.