The federal government has broken a stalemate over the Colorado River, ordering Arizona to take the most severe cuts of the seven states that share the Southwest’s lifeline.
Can our arid state, gripped by historic drought and record-shattering heat, withstand the loss? And what does it mean for our booming population and business growth?
On Sept. 8, KJZZ water reporter Alex Hager presented your questions and concerns to a panel of experts. Click the red play button on the video above to watch the discussion.
Local water managers like Max Wilson with the city of Phoenix say taps won’t go dry, but it won’t be cheap to keep them flowing.
"We are going to have to invest in the next generation of water infrastructure that will be much, much, much more expensive than any of the water infrastructure we have here today," said Wilson.
The panel was part of our “Every Last Drop” reporting project.
Meet the panelists
Cynthia Campbell is a water resource attorney and water policy expert with more than 25 years of experience in Arizona Water Law. She was previously a Director of Policy Innovation for the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. She also served as the water resources management advisor for the city of Phoenix, Arizona, where she managed the city’s water resource portfolio and advised the city manager, mayor and council on policy issues related to water resource planning and strategy. She is a member of the Governor’s Water Council, appointed by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs. She is a former member of the Arizona Drought Contingency Plan Committee, the Arizona Recovery Planning Action Group, and the Arizona Reconsultation Committee. An attorney for over 35 years, she has represented local, county and state government as an assistant city attorney (Phoenix), assistant state’s attorney (Illinois) and assistant attorney general (Arizona). Cynthia is a graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and the University of Illinois.
Lauren Hixson is the Water Resources Manager for the Town of Gilbert. Since coming to Gilbert, she has led Gilbert’s Colorado River shortage strategy focused on projects that build upon operational resiliency, long-term portfolio sustainability, and water conservation and efficiency. She has 15 years of experience in the water industry with a background in water resource planning and water/wastewater design and engineering. Lauren earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona and is a registered Professional Engineer. She is passionate about supporting the community by managing water resources wisely and efficiently from policy to operations. Lauren is an avid hiker who makes a point to visit the Colorado River via the Grand Canyon trails at least once each year.
Max Wilson, Ph.D., is the water resources management advisor for the city of Phoenix where he plays a critical role in managing the city’s water resource portfolio and advises on policy issues relating to water resource planning and strategy. Wilson most recently served as the deputy water services director with oversight of the Water Planning Division in the city of Phoenix’s Water Services Department. In this role he worked with city leadership to develop the city’s water resiliency strategy, including the implementation of advanced water purification. Previously Wilson served as the city’s first water conservation coordinator, launching nearly all the water conservation programs the city operates today. Prior to joining the city, Wilson was the sustaining flows manager at Friends of the Verde River, where he worked to promote sustainability in Phoenix’s headwaters by keeping the Verde River healthy and flowing. Wilson holds bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees in biology from Arizona State University, where he studied a variety of land and water planning issues from the Tibetan Plateau to Beijing and Shanghai.
