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Apr 2010

San Pedro River water budget

Riparian-aquatic
San Pedro River
Abstract

Surface water flows and the riparian communities they support in the San Pedro River basin are closely linked to groundwater conditions. Groundwater pumping has been increasing steadily for the past century, and now greatly exceeds the natural recharge provided by rainfall for portions of the basin, especially in the Cananea and Sierra Vista areas. That pumping has already affected the length of surface flow, especially in areas with high well densities or large-volume wells close to the river. Maintaining surface flow in the river will require thoughtful choices about where and how much groundwater is pumped in the future.

This map is one of four downloadable San Pedro River Watershed Maps.

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