Chapter Two summarizes Tucson’s water history from the days of carrying water in olla or buckets from rivers and springs to our ability today to turn on the tap and get as much water as we desire. This change demonstrates how for over 100 years we have looked to more distant sources for a dependable water supply, starting with a pipeline from the Santa Cruz River and continuing into the present with the CAP canal carrying water from the Colorado River. The chapter also shows that the influence of politics on water affairs began early in Tucson’s history.

THE SEARCH FOR WATER

The history of water use in the Tucson area is primarily one of reaching out farther and farther to provide enough good water for a growing community. From the first water suppliers who brought water from springs or the Santa Cruz River to today’s Central Arizona Project (CAP), which lifts water 2,900 feet through 14 pumping plants, delivering it 335 miles from the Colorado River, people have looked for new and reliable sources of good quality water. Attempts to persuade people to conserve water also have been part of the picture for more than 100 years, as have been projects to utilize new technologies to increase supplies. People have proposed various projects over the years including dams to capture flood waters so this resource could be used rather than “wasted.” Tucson also has experienced occasional water quality problems for more than 100 years. And finally, politics has played a major role in many significant water decisions over the century.

Santa Cruz River

The first people who lived in the Tucson area got their water from the Santa Cruz River or from springs that bubbled to the surface at the base of Sentinel Peak (now called “A” Mountain), Black Mountain near San Xavier Mission and several other spots. Enough water was available to satisfy the needs of a few thousand people, including irrigating crops. In fact, Santa Cruz River water has been used to irrigate farms for at least 2,000 years. The Santa Cruz River was not a big river like the Colorado or Gila rivers, but the river did flow most of the time in the Tucson area. The Hohokam caught edible fish in the Santa Cruz, and early pioneers hunted water-loving muskrats. When Father Kino came to the area in the late seventeenth century, he stated that he believed there was plenty of water — enough to support a large town of 5,000 people.

Fort Lowell’s Waterworks

When the U.S. Army established Fort Lowell near the Rillito Creek in 1873, the water supply in the area was plentiful. Acequias (canals) brought water from the river; windmills pumped groundwater from about 35 feet down; and storage tanks held water at points of high elevation to provide running water to all the buildings. But problems arose. The windmills often were inactive for days at a time, and even when water filled the storage tanks, the water was hot and unappealing. Diseases were blamed on the bad water which was polluted by livestock, people and unsanitary water storage facilities. “Squatters” diverting surface water for their farms provoked conflict. Debate raged about whether to purchase a steam- powered pump to get water from greater depths or import water from Sabino Canyon. The military built larger storage tanks, installed the steam pump and abandoned the Sabino Canyon project. By the time the fort was closed in 1891, the water problem had been solved by i nstalling additional wells.

19TH CENTURY SUPPLIES

Before the American Civil War, Tucson women washed their clothes in the Santa Cruz River, with a guard nearby as protection against Apaches. Drinking water was available from a well inside the walled city or from the well on Bishop’s Farm. El Aegypti Spring (near the Wishing Shrine, south of the present Tucson Community Center) was a reliable water source for many years, but few people dared to venture alone so far outside of town, even for water.