Dwindling Water Supply Forces Cities Like Phoenix To Make Hard Choices

BUCKEYE, ARIZONA - JUNE 08: In an aerial view, the Central Arizona Project canal runs through the Sonoran Desert on June 8, 2023 in Buckeye, Arizona. The project carries diverted Colorado River water through a 336-mile long system to help serve 80 percent of the population of Arizona. Buckeye is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and is located on the fringe of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced last week that that there is a shortage of groundwater for new housing construction which has been previously approved in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Arizona will no longer be able to give developers new permits for home construction in some outlying desert suburbs of Maricopa County which rely on groundwater wells. Some developers and affected cities will need to search for alternative sources of water for future development amid a warming climate. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)