Arizona Farm and Ranch Group

Water is the lifeblood of any thriving community and even more critical for those who live in the arid climates of the Southwest. In Arizona, the mighty Colorado River and the San Pedro, the Wilcox Playa and the McMullen Valley and every well, spring, and body of water in between is up for examination. A prolonged drought compounded by water levels dropping in Lake Mead have caused a wildfire worse than the Santa Ana wind-fueled California fires. If you take a minute to study and examine government’s action, there is nothing better than crisis or the threat of one to seek action “for the people.” Water has always been a keypolicy discussion in Arizona. In fact, it is the ongoing water discussion for decades that has positioned Arizona to not be in the crisis we see in California. However, it is no secret that we are not done with planning, managing and finding water to sustain a resilient economy for all of Arizona. Maybe I am telling many of you something you already know, but pay attention because things have changed and water is again front and center in Arizona’s critical policy debates.

It is not uncommon for a governor to appoint committees to work on critical issues for the state. In fact, the last three Arizona governors have appointed some type of a water committee. It was less than 5 years ago that the water issues started to boil. The adjudication process, those impacted by the rights of surface water on many of the rivers here in Arizona, really started to ramp up under a new Special Water Master. At the same time, discussion about the 2007 guidelines governing the Colorado River allocation were ongoing, leading to the Drought Contingency Plan you may have heard so much about earlier in 2019. The intensity of drought further exacerbated the dropping levels of Lake Mead and was a cause of some wells in rural areas to dry up. Don’t forget that at the same time, California is making national news with its own water issues and people are watching closely to make sure Arizona is not next. It is almost like the perfect storm with policy and Mother Nature coming together at once, which should scare us all. Of course, as mentioned earlier, the perfect time for those to get involved and push agendas is no time like the current with crisis just around the corner, as if it was never going to rain again. While you may see education, immigration and other topics as key issues for politics these days, water, outside of the main stream media, besides the occasional article about a domestic well going dry, isn’t getting the attention needed. Right now in Arizona, intricate discussion is occurring with policy makers, regulators and interested parties including updates to Active Management Area plans, ground water studies in La Paz and Mohave Counties, ongoing Drought Contingency Plan issues and future supply of water for Pinal County and other areas. These are real discussions and if water is a part of your business or directly impacts your lifestyle, which really means everyone, you are going to want to pay attention.

Over 40 years ago, the construction of the Central Arizona Project was underway without the use of the computer technology we have today, and several critical infrastructures went in before in the forms of dams, pumps and pipes. Think about those huge accomplishments – all without the use of a computer. Today we have computers spitting out water models quicker than we can feed the printer paper. Almost everyone has become an expert on water as long as they had a glass that day. It is like we are on information overload when it comes to water and multiple agendas are being pushed because eventually water will mean money and power. At the moment, some of the only options on the table to purchase water are from Indian Tribes or water brokers, which is quickly driving up prices. A market for water isn’t a bad thing at all but greed can quickly blind an individual or entity to push bad policy that chooses winners and losers in the public policy arena.

Now is the time we must all be vigilant and hold our elected officials responsible. We are talking about the future of our state and, at the same time, we must acknowledge the current status and challenges that face us today. From our homes to industry, we all use water. We must recognize current use, push for efficiency and resiliency in our water systems, and plan for the future. Picking winners and losers in the water fight, deciding how much or who may get water, only sets us on a course for failure with no return.

For more information about Arizona Farm & Ranch Group visit: www.azfarmranch.org, follow them on Facebook (Arizona Farm and Ranch Group), or Twitter @AZFarmRanch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (Pictured above): Patrick Bray, Executive Vice President is an Arizona native born and raised in an agricultural family and has spent the last decade representing the interest of farm and ranch families in Arizona.