Each spring, farmers in El Paso and New Mexico irrigate their cotton fields and pecan orchards with precious water. Businesses depend on a steady and abundant supply of water, too. For example, companies that pre-wash denim may use thousands of gallons of water each day.
Families water their lawns during the hot summer months to maintain a cooling, green lushness.
Half of all the water that families use during an entire year is used this way. To some people, the supply of water seems endless, and getting it is as easy as turning on a faucet. But to scientists, the Southwest's dwindling water supply is a complicated and important issue - one that demands attention if this region is to thrive over the next several years. Water supply and health-related water issues dominate efforts to plan for the future in a region whose capacity to support sustainable growth will be severely tested in the next few decades. It's important that those who depend on and manage water understand what those affects might be.