In the Wild West of water, residents set politics aside to protect their future

When Steve Kisiel was looking at property in the high desert east of Tucson, Arizona, he made sure to check out the water situation first. There was no city water in this rural area, so he knew he would need a good well. At 370 feet deep, the well on the property dipped securely below the water level. 

“There was a reasonable supply, and it seemed stable,” says Kisiel.  

So he built his dream home here, out of straw bale, in the mesquite-dotted grasslands of Cochise County, with a little garden and views of seven mountain ranges.