Brackish groundwater is defined here as groundwater containing 1,000 to 10,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) total dissolved solids (TDS). More than 600,000,000 AF of brackish groundwater is estimated to be stored in Arizona aquifers, generally at depths of less than 1,200 feet. To put this number into perspective, more than 1 billion AF of brackish groundwater is estimated to be stored in NewMexico’s aquifers (NewMexico State Engineer, 2004). It should be noted that an additional 50,000,000 AF of saline groundwater is estimated to be stored in northern Arizona.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESALINATION OF BRACKISH GROUNDWATER IN ARIZONA
The Status of Reservoirs in the West
Maps of 600,000,000 Acre feet of water in Arizona
Lake Powel and Mead need 1-2 Million Acre feet of water per year or more.
Powell
Lake
