Arizona is a land of extremes. Frozen ponds near the northern border persist when the Sonoran Desert oases along the lower Colorado River are sweltering. It is the scarcity of water in one of the driest states in the country that makes the limited amount of wetland habitat so important to waterfowl and other migratory birds. During the spring and fall, Arizona's wetlands serve as rest stops for thousands of ducks and geese. Northern regions also support fair numbers of breeding ducks.
The wetlands of Arizona face many threats, foremost among them is declining water quality and quantity. Although Arizona's industrial and agricultural demands for water are increasing, the rapid human population growth and concurrent domestic water demands is the most pervasive threat to wetlands and their water supplies.
