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El Niño likely to provide steadiness in Arizona water levels over next year

Salt River Project’s six dams are 81% full as of Wednesday, up 13% from a year ago
Roosevelt Lake.jpg
Posted at 1:10 PM, Jan 03, 2024
and last updated 2024-01-03 15:10:57-05

PHOENIX — Heavy precipitation due to El Niño could help maintain Arizona’s water levels in 2024, according to a climatologist in the state.

Randy Cerveny, also a professor of geographical sciences at Arizona State University, said the weather pattern that typically results in higher than normal precipitation levels across the Southwest, including in Arizona, is key for keeping water levels at least steady this year.

“Water that falls during the monsoon tends to run off and not really contribute much to the level of our reservoirs, but it’s the snow that gradually melts and percolates down into the groundwater, into the reservoirs that is really important stuff,” Cerveny told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday.

Read the full story on KTAR News here.