A new poll released Monday finds Arizonans are concerned about the state’s two biggest water sources – the Colorado River and groundwater. And they want officials to do more.
When it comes to the Colorado River, 91% of respondents said they are concerned about its ability to continue providing needed water supplies to Arizona, with more than half (51%) saying they are “very concerned.”
Groundwater — which accounts for about 40% of Arizona’s water supply — is regulated only in what are known as active management areas, or AMAs, in the state’s urban areas. Nearly 80% of the land has no such regulation and no limits on how much groundwater can be pumped by businesses or residents. Almost all of the survey respondents expressed concern about this (89%), with nearly half (49%) saying they are “very concerned.”
The vast majority of respondents think that needs to change, with only 7% saying Arizona should not regulate rural groundwater pumping. But those in favor of regulation were divided on whether that should come from the state or from local officials: 42% said the state — through the Arizona Department of Water Resources — should designate new AMAs, whereas 39% said the state should authorize new tools for local management of these areas, with some state support.
By several measures, most respondents said the state is not investing enough resources into making Arizona more resilient, and 88% said the state should provide annual funding to the Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority’s Water Conservation Grant Fund — a key water-saving resource for cities, businesses and farm operations, but which currently has no dedicated source of state funding.
Arizona is one of seven states in the Colorado River Basin, along with California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Each state gets a designated amount of the river’s water, but tough negotiations continue over those allocations. A vast majority of poll respondents (86%) expressed optimism that the region’s water shortage can be solved through collaborative agreements, while the other 14% said the issue will have to be solved through litigation.
When asked how long Arizona will have enough water for its population, most thought there would be enough five years from now (77%), 10 years from now (66%) and 15 years from now (56%). But only 43% believed there will be enough 25 years from now, with 32% saying no and 25% unsure. 50 years from now, “no” outpolled “yes,” 44% to 25%. And 100 years from now — a key timeline, as most new residential development in the state must have a 100-year assured supply of water — 50% of respondents said there won’t be enough water to sustain Arizona’s population, with only 14% saying there will be.
When given five water uses that the state should prioritize, basic needs and the current population got by far the most support:
- Drinking water and food production – 74%
- Secure water supplies for existing residents and businesses – 66%
- New population growth – 34%
- Mineral extraction companies that mine coal, lithium and other natural resources – 21%
- Big technology companies that produce computer chips, run data centers and power AI – 19%
The poll was produced by Morning Consult, on behalf of the Walton Family Foundation. It was conducted June 11-17 among a sample of 799 registered Arizona voters, using online interviews for a target sample based on gender, age, race, educational attainment, past presidential vote and other demographics.
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