What’s next for Arizona, other Colorado River basin states after water deal deadline passes?

PHOENIX — The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation is working on a Colorado River water rights settlement after states were unable to reach a deal, according to Arizona U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego.

The Democrat told the Tempe Chamber of Commerce last week a federal settlement could be more favorable for Arizona than if the seven Colorado River basin states reached an agreement on their own by a Feb. 14 deadline.

“It would have ended up having a disproportionate cut to Arizona. It would have affected our economy all the way up and down, whether it was from high-end manufacturing, to housing, to our agriculture community,” Gallego said.

Although no usage plan details are currently available, the Bureau of Reclamation recently released a 24-month environmental impact study describing the worsening hydrologic conditions across the Colorado River basin.

It says the projected inflow for the year is at 52% of average due to lack of rain and snow this winter.

“The basin’s poor hydrologic outlook highlights the necessity for collaboration as the basin states, in collaboration with Reclamation, work on developing the next set of operating guidelines for the Colorado River system,” Acting Commissioner Scott Cameron said in a Feb. 13 press release.

Gallego hopes federal Colorado River deal aligns with water needs

Gallego believes Arizona leads the way in terms of water conservation.

“We did voluntary cuts. We cut deals with some of our Native American tribal nations to keep water behind the dam. We had farmers that fallowed their land to make sure that we were doing our part to keep the Colorado River healthy,” he said.

Despite the Grand Canyon State’s efforts, a Feb. 14 deadline came and went without a deal.

Gallego argued the upper basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming have smaller populations and smaller water demands than Arizona.

The upper basin refused to recognize “the years and years of sacrifice and investment that the taxpayers of Arizona did to conserve water,” the senator said.

He hopes the federal government will align water usage with where they want to see economic growth.

The lower basin has a growing population. With the investments into chip manufacturing in Arizona, Gallego believes the nation’s gross domestic product is dependent on Arizona’s water future.

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