Arizona Department of Water Resources field hydrologists conducting “basin sweep” to collect water level measurements Eastern Arizona

PHOENIX- Beginning the week of December 30, 2024, and continuing through February 2025, Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) field services staff will make an extensive effort to measure water levels in wells within several groundwater basins in Eastern Arizona. This survey of wells - or basin "sweep", as it is known, was last conducted during the winter 1987.

The data collected will be analyzed and used to obtain a comprehensive overview of the groundwater conditions and used to support scientific and water management planning efforts. Among others, data uses will include:

• Analysis of water-level trends
• Groundwater modeling
• Water-level change maps
• Hydrologic reports
• Water resource planning and management

The groundwater subbasins that will be targeted are as follows; Bonita Creek, Duncan Valley, Gila Valley, Morenci and San Carlos Valley. These basins cover several thousand square miles of farmland, riparian areas and rugged terrain in East/Central Arizona along the border of New Mexico, through the Gila Mountains and include the Town of Safford following the path of the Gila River

For more information regarding this matter, please contact Communications Administrator Doug MacEachern at [email protected] or (602) 771-8507.

Details about the nature of basin sweeps and groundwater modeling can be found here. If you would like to volunteer your well for participation in this groundwater survey please contact the Hydrology Division at (602) 771-8535.

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