KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College,
and Maricopa Community Colleges

Copyright © 2025 KJZZ/Rio Salado College/MCCCD
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Commentary: Water crisis in the Southwest isn't just a matter of supply — it's a failure of vision

Colorado River in Yuma
Bret Jaspers/KJZZ
The Colorado River, pictured here in Yuma, serves 40 million people with water for drinking, agriculture and industry.

Strange how catastrophe brings critical issues into focus. When disaster strikes, we're momentarily jolted into awareness — a fleeting recognition of deeper, systemic challenges that simmer beneath the surface. Example: In California, wildfires have done more than scorch landscapes. Ironically, they've ignited — at least for a while — a desperately needed conversation about water management.

In the interest of raising awareness, I thought it might be of value to our readers to do some research, to dive deep into the water issue and examine why it remains frustratingly unresolved.

Read the entire commentary at In the Center Lane with Herb Paine on Substack

Commentator Herb Paine is president of Paine Consulting Services in Phoenix.
Related Content