Arizona, California, and Nevada facilities all facing current or future water reductions

As the Southwest United States enters its third consecutive summer of drought, golf courses in the states of Arizona, California and Nevada are all facing current or future restrictions on water use. 

The current drought is part of a 22-year mega drought which is considered to be the driest period in the past 1200 years.  Lake Mead and Lake Powell have both hit historic elevation levels raising not only water concerns, but hydropower concerns.  In California, reservoirs are currently well below capacity including Shasta (40 percent) and Oroville (55 percent).  The California State Water Project which delivers water from the Feather River watershed to the Central Valley and Southern California has been slashed to only 5 percent of its requested supply. 

Arizona is already in Tier 1 water restrictions (cut of 512,000 acre-feet) that has resulted in groundwater cutbacks for courses located in Active Managed Areas.  If Tier 2 (Lake Mead elevation below 1,050 ft.) is triggered, an additional 80,000 acre-feet of water will be lost putting more pressure on golf courses, particularly in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. 

In California, the Metropolitan Water District has announced one-day a week water restrictions for customers in six affected water agencies:  Calleguas Municipal Water District, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Three Valleys Municipal Water District, and Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District. 

While many courses located in these districts operate on an alternative means of compliance (waiving day/time restrictions in lieu of providing an additional 5-10 percent savings above mandated cutbacks), even more draconian reductions could be enforced later in the summer in the event savings goals are not met. 

In Nevada, the Southern Nevada Water Authority has recommended reducing water budgets from the current 6.3 acre-feet per irrigatable acre to 4.0 acre-feet beginning April 1, 2023.  This would mark an approximate 37% reduction in water use.  While there will be more to work out on this recommendation, this reduction would cripple overseeding in the region. 

As the reductions and regulations begin to tumble in more regularly across the region, golf course superintendents, general managers and golf professionals will be fielding calls from the media, environmental groups, local communities, and others on their use. 

I have put together talking points documents to assist with these requests as well as provide additional sources of information.  Use of these talking points will ensure that we are sharing the same message of water management, conservation, and sustainable practices.  Please feel free to reach out to me at jjensen@gcsaa.org and I will be glad to email the one-sheets in a PDF format to you for use. 

Please make sure to meet with your water provider as soon as possible to discuss your particular situation and review what options may be available to you.  Plan for the worst and hope for the best!