Home Grown: AG leaders learn about drought

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - In today's homegrown report, agriculture researchers, growers, and other locals participated in a field tour to help navigate real-world problems in AG.

One issue addressed on the field tour was the water crisis on the Colorado River.

The Yuma County Water Users Association spoke about the drought we are currently facing and how it came to be. 

“The levels in Lake Powell are about 33 percent of capacity and the levels of lake mead are about 34 percent of capacity. Those two reservoirs will hold about 54-million-acre feet so they’re tremendous, but we’re getting to a position where theirs's going to have to be some priority enforcement,” said the Yuma County Water Users' Association manager Tom Davis.

Arizona is one of several states battling this drought and will be taking a cut in water deliveries of almost 600,000 acre-feet.

Luckily, the Yuma County Water Users’ Association has the most senior water rights on the river, in Arizona.

Leaving Yuma valley agriculture in the clear at least for now. 

U of A water quality researcher Natalie Brassill came from Phoenix for the tour.

“Water comes in many forms, you have quantity, how much water do you have, we’re in a drought so that can be an issue. And I work specifically in water quality, what’s the quality of the water? These are issues and topics that we want to pay attention to,” said Brassill.

The Yuma County Water Users’ Association says the drought will only get worse if we don’t act now, especially for the agriculture community.