The idea of bringing water to Arizona from a desalination plant in neighboring Sonora has been around for years — as have critiques of such a scheme. But Sonora’s governor says neither state nor federal leaders are on-board with current proposals.
This week, a group of scientists and concerned citizens penned a letter opposing any plans for large-scale desalination in Mexico’s Gulf of California — particularly a proposed project that would ship desalinated water to Arizona.
The plan, they say, would not only be costly and inefficient, but would pose major environmental impacts that would negatively affect coastal communities and Sonora’s robust fishing and tourism industries.
A group of concerned citizens hereby issue this manifesto calling for the protection of the upper Gulf of California upon the threat that a Mega Desalinization facility would entail. pic.twitter.com/fukhA6trCW
— Desalinizadora Golfo de California (@ProtegerGolfoCa) June 27, 2023
Sonoran Gov. Alfonso Durazo responded to those concerns saying that neither state nor federal leaders have signed on to any proposals that would permit desalinated water to be sent to Arizona.
Earlier this year he strongly rejectedclaims that an Israeli company had his buy-in for such a plan.
Previous Govs. Doug Ducey and Claudia Pavlovich, of Arizona and Sonora, respectively, had agreed to consider the idea. But so far Govs. Katie Hobbs and Durazo do not appear to be endorsing a similar agreement.
