By Joey Chenoweth | PinalCentral
Being in a drought is nothing new in Arizona. The current one is now in its third decade. But all evidence is indicating that conditions are only getting worse, and now it has some Pinal County farmers facing down a water crisis.
The San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District is bracing for the likelihood, should nothing change in the weather, that San Carlos Lake will be dried up sometime between June 10 and 15. District officials are in the process of meeting with all of their farmer clients to come up with a plan to make every drop matter, but the chances are only increasing that it will all eventually run out, leaving farmers with nothing in the middle of their growing season.
The district’s supply is from the Gila River and traditionally varies greatly from year to year, unlike that of other districts in the area. Allocations are determined before the growing season. The district stretches from Florence to Casa Grande.
In a letter to farmers detailing the next steps, Shane Lindstrom, SCIDD general manager, called the situation “unprecedented” and vowed to utilize any water in the Gila River “until it literally runs dry.”
