Gov. Doug Ducey said Arizona needs to be wary and defend its water supplies as the historic drought on the Colorado River continues.
Arizona has done better than California saving water for times of drought, and state officials want everyone to know that.
But this doesn’t mean Arizona can sit back and wait out the drought, either. After all, it will not only be among the first states to face cutbacks in Colorado River water, but will also lose more than any other state. Current projections show a good chance of a shortage being declared in 2017.
With this in mind, Gov. Ducey said Arizona must be “vigilant” when working with the federal government, which is the arbiter of who gets water from the river.
“I see the potential for a productive and effective partnership with the federal government, so long as their actions to aid California do not reduce Arizona's flexibility or ability to manage our own water," said Ducey.
Ducey is also pledging to restore some funding for the state department of water resources, which has lost almost half of its budget since 2008.
Last year, Arizona and other states agreed to leave more than 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead by 2017 in an effort to delay a shortage.
The U.S. government is also giving water authorities in Arizona and other Southwest states funding for a series of pilot conservation programs.
