InHospitable

Phoenix — America's hottest and fastest-growing big city — is on the frontlines in the fight against drought, extreme heat, and wildfire. We bring you stories of how these global problems affect real Arizonans, and what is being done to solve them. This podcast series is supported by the Arizona Community Foundation and Intel.


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Water Pt. 2: The Wild West of Water

Water system
Farmer John Hart shows off his watering system near Willcox, Arizona. He said he used to use one well per field, but due to declining groundwater levels, that isn't enough anymore. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
Resources
Greg Freeman
Greg Freeman, 67, has lived in his home south of Willcox, Arizona since the 1970s. He said he's had two wells go dry and is hoping his current one will make it until he is 80 years old. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
Richard Jimenez
After retiring, and the well drying up three years ago, Richard Jimenez has been hauling water from his neighbor's well and hasn't watered his yard, shaved daily, or used his new dishwasher. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
Cow skull
A decorative skull hangs in a front yard south of Willcox, Arizona. The area has changed in the past eight years, when a large industrial dairy moved to town and began buying up small farms and drilling deep wells in the aquifer. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
Irrigation system
A tractor-sized wheel from a pivot irrigation system sits in a field in the Sulphur Springs Valley. Unlike some places in Arizona, there are no regulations here about how much groundwater can be pumped. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
Sprinkler system
A high tech sprinkler system sits in a circular "pivot" field near Willcox, Arizona. Local farmer John Hart said his biggest expense is water, so he's highly motivated to do whatever he can to conserve it. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
Water system
Farmer John Hart shows off his watering system near Willcox, Arizona. He said he used to use one well per field, but due to declining groundwater levels, that isn't enough anymore. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
Digging wells
Willcox-area farmer John Hart said that declining water levels have meant that he, and many others in the area, have been forced to spend lots of money deepening or digging new wells. A new well costs tens of thousands of dollars. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
John Shaver
Realtor John Shaver was born and raised in the Willcox-area and he wants other people to have the chance to experience the place's natural beauty and close-knit community. (Photo by Luke Simmons)
Contributor
Anthony J. Wallace

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In certain parts of Arizona, there are no rules on how much water wells can pump out of the ground. That unlimited access to a finite resource is what economists call a “tragedy of the commons.” In this second part of our three-part water series, we travel to the Sulphur Springs Valley in Southern Arizona to see how unregulated drilling there has impacted hopes for the future and access to water for everyday people. And we’ll learn how the rise of industrial agriculture in the Valley, and across the nation, is contributing to changing rural economies, rising tensions in close-knit communities, and global climate change. 

Producers
Anthony J. Wallace