Integrating Water Resources Into Land Use Planning: Connecting Local Land use Decisions and Water Resource Impacts

Abstract

Water supply development has changed significantly in the last fifty years. Expanding existing water supplies or locating and securing new water supplies has become increasingly difficult and highly constrained. In addition, awareness of and experience with the deleterious environmental impacts of water supply development has further constrained future development. Given this new paradigm, it is imperative that growing areas identify water supplies to accommodate new development before the development occurs. This report provides an analysis of the physical and institutional characteristics of land use and water resource development in Pima County, Arizona. Using this analysis, policy recommendations are formulated to improve the County’s integration of land use and water resource planning. In the case of Pima County, a comprehensive plan water resources element is used as the policy vehicle for reforming public policies.