Editing Sahuarita, Arizona (section)

==Geography==
Sahuarita is located at {{Coord|31|55|45|N|110|58|56|W|type:city}} (31.929245, -110.982241).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|15.2|mi2|km2}}, all land. Since the most recent census was taken in 2000, the town has annexed more land; its area is now approximately {{convert|30|mi2|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=glance /> The [[Santa Cruz River (Arizona)]] runs through the [[desert]] town, flowing north towards Tucson, mostly during the monsoons, or extended climatic wet periods.<ref name=santa-cruz>{{cite web | url = http://www.azheritagewaters.nau.edu/loc_santacruzriver.html | title = Arizona Heritage Waters | work = Santa Cruz River | publisher = Northern Arizona University | access-date = November 12, 2009 }}</ref> Late 19th century and early 20th century still contained [[beaver]] in the river from Tucson, southwards. [[Madera Canyon (Arizona)|Madera Canyon]], located just southeast of the town, is another important landmark, day trip site, and a [[birdwatching]] point.

===Water sustainability===
In the desert southwest, water sustainability is a major concern. According to a 2007 report by Pima County, {{convert|76000|acre.ft}} of water was pumped from the aquifer in the Upper Santa Cruz Valley in 2006 [in the report referred to as the Green Valley area, which includes Sahuarita], with 85 percent of that water being used for mining and agriculture. The remaining 15 percent was split between water used for golf courses and residential/commercial water use. The report explains that "The Green Valley area does not have a sustainable water supply given current groundwater pumping rates... the water table in Green Valley has been declining in past years, and is expected to decline even faster as water demands [continue to increase]...". The report concludes that "Water supplies will become critical within the next ten years."<ref name=long-term-water>{{cite web | date = October 2, 2007 | url = http://www.pima.gov/pdf/Long-Term%20Green%20Valley%20Water%20Supply%20.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081001110309/http://www.pima.gov/pdf/Long-Term%20Green%20Valley%20Water%20Supply%20.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = October 1, 2008 | title = Long Term Green Valley Water Supply | publisher = Pima County | access-date = November 30, 2007 }}</ref>

The Upper Santa Cruz Valley has several "major water users", all pumping water out of the same aquifer. None of these are owned by Pima County, the town of Sahuarita, nor Green Valley. The major water users are all private companies: ASARCO-Mission Mine, Phelps Dodge Sierrita Mine; Farmers Water Company; Sahuarita Water Company, Las Quintas Serenas Water Company, Quail Creek Water Company, Community Water Company of Green Valley, and the Green Valley Water District. The proliferation of water companies can be partially explained by the fact that the actual water in the aquifer is not owned by anyone,{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} thus any amount of water can be pumped out, with costs limited only to drilling, pumping, distribution, etc.<ref name=gal>{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.g-a-l.info/|title=Groundwater Awareness League|work=Representing the voice of the people... about their water supply|publisher=GAL|access-date=November 30, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009180954/http://www.g-a-l.info/|archive-date=October 9, 2007}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2012}}

===Sahuarita Lake===
{{Main|Sahuarita Lake}}

Sahuarita Lake is an artificial lake that was completed on June 22, 2001, by Rancho Sahuarita. The lake surface area is {{convert|435600|sqft|m2}}, with a {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=on}} long perimeter and maximum depth of {{convert|10|ft|m}}, holding approximately {{convert|70|acre.ft}} of water.<ref name=lake>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.sahuarita.az.us/Docs/Rancho%20Sahuarita%20-%20Lake%20Manual%20-%202001.pdf|title=Lake Manual|work=prepared for Rancho Sahuarita|publisher=J. Harlan Glenn, P.E.|access-date=December 12, 2007|date=June 22, 2001}}</ref> This reflects a water amount equivalent to less than one tenth of one percent (<0.1%) of the {{convert|76000|acre.ft}} of water used by all of Sahuarita and Green Valley in 2006.<ref name=long-term-water />
[[Image:Bbasgen-sahuarita-lake.JPG|thumb|left|{{center|Northern view of Sahuarita Lake in December.}}]]
The lake is a "managed lake", which means that natural ecological changes within the lake that do "not fit within the parameters set by man", are cause for remedial action to return to the goals of the management plan. Air compressors located at various points under the lake continually inject air through diffusers which aids the movement of water in a process called vertical mixing. This system of continual aeration enables the circulation of all water in the lake on a daily basis, and therefore creates an ecological balance and uniform appearance. The lake also contains fish and frogs, the former of which are regularly stocked by the Arizona State Department of Game and Fish, and is an attraction to ducks and various kinds of birds.<ref name=lake />

The lake consumes water to the extent that all the water in the lake must be replenished every year. Regarding water evaporation, lake documents state that according to the USDA Water Conservation Laboratory in Phoenix, the mean annual evaporation rate for Sahuarita is {{convert|69|in|mm}} per year. This results in a mean water loss of {{convert|57.5|acre.ft}} per year. Regarding water loss due to seepage, initial estimates indicated an annual loss of {{convert|10|acre.ft}} of water, or 17% of total capacity per year. The J. Harlan Glenn Engineers that provided this estimate indicated that this equates to an "extremely low seepage rate". On average, 65 gpm (gallons of water per minute) must be pumped into the lake to maintain its current level. A nearby well site that draws on the shared Upper Santa Cruz Valley aquifer is used to refill the lake.<ref name=lake /> In 2006, {{convert|105.3|acre.ft}} of water was used for the entire Sahuarita lake park, which includes water for the {{convert|5|acre|m2}} of grass and restroom facilities.