Local opinion: Lets prepare for lower Colorado River deliveries

This year’s low flows of the Colorado River have made the process for updating the 2007 guidelines for sharing Colorado River shortages contentious, inconclusive, and problematic. Inability of the seven U.S. states that share the Colorado River to agree on new guidelines leaves the decision-making for our water future in the hands of the U.S. Department of the Interior. While we await official word, indications are that the federal government will issue a 10-year framework, with renegotiation every two years. A recent briefing hosted by Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke suggested that proposed water cuts to Arizona — Central Arizona in particular — for the first two years of the new shortage sharing regime may not be as deep as feared, leaving Arizonans with a sense of temporary relief. However, another winter with precipitation and runoff levels as bad as 2026 would likely require deeper cuts next year.

Arizonans are rightly concerned about water. The laws governing the allocation of the Colorado River are not in Central Arizona’s favor. Historic legal and political decisions have put us in a tough spot, which is even more reason to focus on actions to bring water demand and supply into balance. The dams and reservoirs constructed to capture and control the river’s water were built with assumptions that made sense in the early-to-mid 20th century. Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have seen increased water variability and aridification of our region. More water conservation and efficiency of use are essential, as is the need to (1) make full and wise use of already available water supplies and (2) expand our water portfolio through water reuse, aquifer storage, augmentation, and wise management of our surface and groundwater.

How can we address Arizonans’ concerns? Information must be readily accessible to the public, who must have the opportunity to engage in discussions through public meetings. Secondly, water decision makers, both elected officials and appointed, must help educate the public about the water problems, identify options for addressing them, and articulate the tradeoffs and the process associated with alternative solutions.

Arizona’s water community must continue its long history of cooperation. Governors and some local municipalities have convened water policy advisory councils to vet opportunities to address challenges. Given the severity of the impacts of future cutbacks, now is a good time to engage these groups to help solve the problem. Water opportunities related to conservation, efficiency, and local water reuse and recycling, watershed management, and infrastructure assets are all places where we can collectively close the demand-supply imbalance.

The use and development of new water should be explored. Also, there needs to be an open dialogue identifying existing and new pressure points, such as the expansion of data centers. Regionally focused discussion forums could feed into a statewide debate to consolidate ideas, with a report to the Governor and Legislature.

Our professional experiences underscore that citizens want the facts and realistic appraisals. They want to know what they can do and the implications of alternative actions, including no action. Residents have invested in Arizona. They want to protect their investments in their homes and their livelihoods. They want to know that Arizona will remain a vibrant and sustainable place to live.

There are useful sources of information, such as (1) the county water and conservation factsheets issued by the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, (2) the Arizona Water Blueprint compiled by ASU’s Kyl Center, and (3) groundwater basin supply and demand reports of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Community and/or utility drought plans must be updated and available to the public, as should the water elements of county comprehensive plans. Involving all of Arizona, including tribes, colonias, the agricultural community, the business community, and NGOs, is critically important.

Addressing today’s water challenge requires all of us to be engaged and leadership through action. It’s past time for more inclusive sharing of information and dialogue.