“The history of Arizona is the history of water in Arizona.”
- June Morrison, Gilbert Resident 1924-2026
We live in the greenest desert in the world. The Sonoran Desert, with its stunning biodiversity, depends entirely on its bi-seasonal rainfall to maintain that title. The rains made possible the inhabitation of the base of what we now call Sentinel Peak by The Hohokam people, since around the year 1300, making Tucson the longest continually inhabited place inside the boundaries of what we now call the United States.
Farmers living in the Salt River Valley 1400 years before European explorers set foot here depended on water to maintain their crops and communities. They developed complex canal systems spanning close to 500 miles and serving tens of thousands of people. Though the mystery of why those agrarian communities stopped maintaining their canals around 1450 CE will never be fully solved, we do know that those pathways for water have laid the groundwork for the systems in use today.
We can’t talk about water in the desert without acknowledging the deep and troubling dearth in the Colorado River’s reservoirs. As the main perennial water source for the state, we depend on this precious resource, and it is dwindling. The more people who live here and enjoy the beauty in the desert, the more strain we put on the ecology of the region.
Because we love where we live, our goal is to focus on what we can do to keep this place liveable for future generations, and for the incredible biome that exists here. We need to take action on personal and societal levels, and we want to highlight some of the folks and organizations who are doing the work, and who can help you do it, too.
This summer, we are hosting a series of events titled "Let's Talk: Water in the Desert." Our first guest organization is the Sonoran Institute, a Tucson-based conservation nonprofit whose mission is to connect people and communities with the natural resources that nourish and sustain them. Their broader vision focuses on a Colorado River Basin where rivers flow, landscapes are healthy, and communities thrive.
Join us on July 9 from 6-8pm at our Tucson location for Let’s Talk: Water in the Desert. We’re partnering with the @sonoraninstitute to bring local experts and their knowledge to the shop to help us all understand the connections between people and the precious resource of water here in the desert. Accompanied by sparkling water and sparkling conversation, we hope to foster a deeper understanding of the role of water in our communities' lives and our role in stewarding this resource. Stop by to learn more about their local impact, ask questions, and enjoy complimentary sparkling water. 10% of proceeds from the evening will be donated to Sonoran Institute.
Brad Lancaster is a Tucson local who literally wrote the book on rainwater harvesting. His work in Tucson and beyond involves “planting rainwater,” and teaching landscaping for maximum benefit in terms of food-bearing foliage, shade, water retention, wind, sun, and everything else in the natural system that surrounds us.
Watershed Management Group is a nonprofit in Tucson that provides education and policy initiatives with the goal of restoring and protecting the local watershed. Their 2025 Annual Impact Report guides the reader through the potential for a hydro-local water balance and action items for individuals and local governments.
Resilient Communities and Watersheds is a collaborative project from the Sonoran Institute and Lincoln Institute’s Babbit Center for Land and Water Policy. It focuses on communities in the Colorado River Basin, with the goal of creating systems to connect and support them through plans and policy that foster resilience.
If we want to preserve our beautiful landscape for future generations, we must live and utilize our resources with purpose and respect. Luckily, folks in our community are already working toward that goal, and making it easier for all of us to join.
Learn more about June Morrison, who passed away in April this year and was an inspiration and influence in learning about this history of Gilbert as we opened our Gilbert location. "June was a gardener all her life, and a grower of opportunities."
