After a blistering editorial in the Arizona Republic by Robert Robb entitled Ducey’s Arizona Water Authority Proposal Isn’t Even Half-Baked some politicos wonder if the governor’s legislative legacy is Dead-On-Arrival. Gov. Doug Ducey's water authority idea isn't even half-baked (azcentral.com)
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Water policy is typically a non-partisan issue, but conservation issues tilt a little bit toward the Democrat side of the aisle, while augmentation issues lean a little to the Republican side. That said, if a center-right columnist like Robb cannot get behind the Arizona Water Authority proposal, this may not bode well for its chances.
The Republican-dominated legislature likes growth. It’s in their DNA. Growth cannot happen, however, without water. Central Arizona's population has grown chiefly by converting farmland into housing. In his article, Robb referred to a study by Grady Gammage Jr. (in fairness a Democrat and life-long growth cheerleader) which postulates that population growth could continue in Central Arizona for the next 10 years through a combination of conservation and the continued conversion of farmland. sun_corridor_2021_final.pdf (asu.edu)
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In addition, according to the Arizona Water Bank Authority, the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas have banked 4.46 million acre-feet of water. Water Storage In Arizona | Arizona Water Banking Authority (az.gov) With an acre-foot of water serving the needs of approximately 2.79 households per year, this banked water could extend growth for a few more years . . . but not indefinitely.
Enter the Arizona Water Authority (AWA) . . . or not . . . This new governmental agency would acquire, own and sell water on behalf of the state. The agency would construct and acquire water-related facilities. The AWA would also engage in public/private partnerships. A governor-appointed board would oversee the agency. A Joint Legislative Committee on Water would oversee any proposed expenditures of over $100 million. I guess that an expenditure of less than that amount would not have legislative oversight!
Proponents of the bill want to ram this through the legislature without any amendments. Frankly, that will not happen. Too many legislators, Democrat and Republican alike, will not acquiesce to the governor’s wishes without clarifications or concessions of some type. Reps. Regina Cobb and Leo Biasucci of Mohave County want the governor to agree to Rural Management Area legislation which Rep. Gail Griffin has held in her committee three years running. Cobb and Biasucci also want some type of agreement to prevent metro Phoenix from tapping indiscriminately into Colorado River water in Rural Arizona river communities. The Arizona Water Authority will have a tough time getting through the House without some type of compromise. The same holds true in the Senate where Sen. Sonny Borrelli of Mohave County presumably stands in the way as well.
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Some fiscal conservatives may balk at creating a super-agency with minimal accountability. Other critics simply believe the solution to Arizona’s water problems lie completely with more conservation. The answer may lie somewhere in the middle. Augmentation has a role, but the governor’s plan requires greater accountability, realistic expectations, and a better understanding of the costs. For now, conservation is the immediate solution as we buy time for the infrastructure that must be in place to increase Arizona’s water supply.