Many now want to see that momentum spread statewide—which is not only crucial for communities, but also for birds and other wildlife, says Haley Paul, Arizona policy director for Audubon Southwest. Groundwater losses imperil the state’s few rivers and crucial pockets of riparian forest that many species, like Yellow Warblers and Western Tanagers, depend upon for insects, nesting sites, shade, and seeds. “These ribbons of green, these groundwater-fed ecosystems, are really, really important in an arid environment,” Paul says. Read more.