Arizona’s Groundwater Contributes to 43% of State GDP

Arizona's Groundwater Contributes to 43% of State GDP 

Arizona State University’s Seidman Research Institute and Business For Water Stewardship (BWS) released a new, first-of-its-kind report estimating the economic importance of groundwater for Arizona’s five Active Management Areas (AMAs) in Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Santa Cruz and Tuscon. The report finds that Arizona’s groundwater contributed to an annual average of 43% of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), or $1.2 trillion to the economy over a period of nine years.

Arizona relies on groundwater for 40% of its water supply, and sustained access to groundwater remains essential for industrial, agricultural and municipal uses in Arizona. This report underscores how critical groundwater is for Arizona’s continued growth and economic development.

Read the full Technical Report.

Read the Executive Summary.

Five Active Management Areas Studied 

More than 80% of Arizona’s population resides within the state’s five Active Management Areas (AMAs) which are Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Santa Cruz, and Tucson. Each AMA includes Agricultural, Industrial, and Municipal users. This study estimates the economic importance of groundwater for Arizona’s five Active Management
Areas between 2010-2018 (assuming no substitution for or adaptation to the loss of groundwater).

Read the Five AMA Factsheets here:

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