<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4dIBDn_1FScFfnv00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4dIBDn_1FScFfnv00" width="1280" height="876" >At its most recent meeting, the Marana City Council heard a presentation about amending its Drought Preparedness Plan.Adopted by the town in 2023, the four-stage plan follows two indicators: the local — Marana groundwater levels — and the regional — Lake Mead elevations.Officially, Marana is under Stage 1 drought prevention, necessitated by either a 1-2 in. annual decline in groundwater levels or Lake Mead’s elevation falling between 1,090 ft. and 1,075 ft. above mean sea level. Under Stage 1, the town requests water customers to voluntarily reduce consumption by “limiting landscape irrigation and avoiding outdoor water uses like misters and car washes when possible,” the town’s website said.Jerry Huerstel, water resources administrator, delivered the presentation, and said that Marana’s water table rose .28 ft. overall at the end of the last calendar year, prompting “no declaration of drought.” The Lake Mead indicator, on the other hand, triggered a recommendation of Stage 2 drought declaration for 2026. Though a Stage 2 drought has not been declared, the water department is “operating under the assumption” that it will be, Huerstel said. In the case that the town moves to Stage 2, the existing plan will demand a 10% water use reduction on town properties. Huerstel said that the water department has already been coordinating with town departments on this matter, and that the total reduction might be reached by “significant reductions that have been contributed by the parks department,” including turf removals and push-button actuators added to splash pads.Huerstel also mentioned an active rebate program for community members with low-flush toilets to upgrade to higher-efficiency options. Further Stage 2 measures entail voluntary conservation efforts from the community including requests to limit overseeding, filling pools and use of ornamental fountains. The town will also ask citizens to limit hosing down driveways and washing vehicles without using a bucket, and to restrict irrigation to two days a week.Councilmember Herb Kai floated the prospect of local car washes regulating frequent customers. Huerstel said that, while drive-through washes are a more efficient alternative to cleaning vehicles at home, car washes should not be used to “kill time.” In subsequent stages, measures will become more dire, eventually leading to the town enacting official prohibitions on water usages.Huerstel then moved on to proposed updates to the town of Marana Drought Preparedness Plan, chiefly, a regional indicator that “can be more practically planned for.” The presentation offered, as an alternative to Lake Mead’s elevation, Marana’s reliance on the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD). The metric will be the amount of years that remain “until Marana will be reliant on CAGRD to replenish the groundwater that we’re pumping to serve our community.”The water department assumes full groundwater allowance and long-term storage credits depletion will occur by 2043. This is the “projected date by which we would be reliant on CAGRD” water, which is more expensive than what the town of Marana is accustomed to, Huerstel said.In the outlined amendments, drought stage elevation will require the town meeting both the local and regional indicator triggers, rather than just one. Besides the indicators, the water department intends to alter the drought preparedness measures mapped out in the plan. Amendments will focus on making measures practically enforceable, and continuing coordination to “ensure drought stage measures align with Town and Departmental visions.”The council also discussed ideas to improve community outreach about drought-preparedness measures. </div></body>

Block Source: Tucson Weekly

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At its most recent meeting, the Marana City Council heard a presentation about amending its Drought Preparedness Plan. Adopted by the town in 2023, the four-stage plan follows two indicators: the local — Marana groundwater levels — and the regional — Lake Mead elevations. Officially, Marana is...

Thinking Ahead: Stage 2 Drought Preparedness Plan updates recommended

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At its most recent meeting, the Marana City Council heard a presentation about amending its Drought Preparedness Plan. Adopted by the town in 2023, the fou

Thinking Ahead: Stage 2 Drought Preparedness Plan updates recommended

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