OCR Text |
Show Little Colorado Subregion The most vital needs of the Little Colorado Subregion are to supply additional water to its two major cities of Flagstaff, Arizona, and Gallup, New Mexico, to help maintain economic stability and to provide for future growth and additional water to stabilize the present agri- cultural economy. It would also provide greater employment opportunities for its predominantly rural Indian population through further develop- ment of the tourist industry, the attraction of outdoor recreationists, and the encouragement of light industry. The water supply of the Subregion is poorly- distributed with respect to the areas of need. Additional water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses needs to be made avail- able for several areas in the Subregion. Gila Subregion The Gila Subregion is the major water deficient area of the Region. Even though about 2.5 million acre-feet of ground water were mined in 1965, the apparent water requirements were not satisfied. By 2020, the annual withdrawal requirement is expected to increase by more than 1.9 million acre-feet. The increased requirements are due primarily to the needs of an expanding population. Most of the water needs are concen- trated in. the vicinities of Phoenix and Tucson. Existing sources are essentiaLly completely utilized and only infrequent floods produce out- flow from the Subregion. There is a critical need to augment the water supplies of the Subregion to reduce the ground-water overdraft and to meet the increasing water requirements. |