Gov. Katie Hobbs pushes back on ‘unacceptable’ terms in federal Colorado River proposal

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said Friday she will push back on “unacceptable” terms of a new federal proposal on how to share Colorado River water.

Hobbs said she will continue promoting a plan put forth earlier this year by the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada.

“Inequitable, federally imposed cuts to our Colorado River water allocation will be unacceptable to Arizonans, and will put every American at risk,” she said in a statement. “Previous federal proposals to slash Arizona’s Colorado River water would be devastating for our nation as we work to compete with China in the AI race, onshore critical supply chains, feed the country and rebuild our depleted missile stockpile.”

The Colorado River is a source of water and hydropower for seven U.S. states, 30 Native American tribes and two Mexican states.

Why did the federal government create a Colorado River operating plan?

Facing a new reality after 25 years of drought, the basin states have been unable to agree upon an updated operating agreement as the current deal expires this year. As a result, the federal government was forced to step in.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on Friday with a preferred course of action that would spare Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming from mandatory cuts for now.

“While this FEIS still contains unacceptable options that include the federal government forcing Arizona to take the majority of draconian water cutbacks, implementing the Lower Basin agreement would protect Arizona from massive water cuts, distribute reductions more fairly across the Lower Basin states and provide stability and protection to the water supply that our communities rely upon,” the Democratic governor said in a statement.

Hobbs said she will keep working on a long-term solution that requires all of the Colorado River basin states to make sacrifices.

“I will continue making that case to the federal government and fighting relentlessly to protect Arizona’s fair share of the Colorado River so our families can feel confident we will have the water we need to turn on the taps, nourish our crops and grow our economy well into the future,” she said.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton called the Bureau of Reclamation plan “a total failure of leadership.” He also vowed to work with state and federal negotiators to implement the Lower Basin proposal.

“Making Arizona shoulder the burden of a shrinking Colorado River ignores our decades of leadership in water conservation, and it ignores our economic and national security importance,” Stanton said in a statement. “Arizona is now America’s semiconductor capital. Hundreds of chipmakers and suppliers operate in the Phoenix metro area, building the cutting-edge chips required for everything from consumer electronics to the defense systems flown from our military bases.”

It wasn’t just Arizona Democrats who expressed their concerns about Friday’s announcement.

Arizona Republican leaders respond

Republican state House Speaker Steve Montenegro said the federal plan is expected to include Lower Basin cuts of about 20%, although it is still unclear how that would be spread across Arizona, California and Nevada.

“The Colorado River is vital to our state, and Arizona has spent decades preparing for drought, conserving water, storing water underground and building a stronger water system,” Montenegro said in a statement. “Our job now is to stay prepared, continue protecting Arizona’s rights and defend our economy while making sure decisions in Washington recognize the contributions our state makes to national security and the economy.”

Meanwhile, state Senate President Warren Petersen said he will “use every legal and legislative tool available” to protect Arizona from getting left high and dry.

“Arizona recognizes the serious condition of the Colorado River, and we are prepared to be part of a responsible solution,” Petersen said in a statement. “What we will not accept is a federal plan that protects some states while placing a devastating and disproportionate burden on Arizona.”

Arizona already has absorbed the largest reductions, percentage-wise, of the states that share Colorado River water. Republican state Rep. Teresa Martinez noted that Pinal County farmers already lost their allocation. She wants more transparency from the federal government on the future cuts.

“So, when Washington tells Arizona to cut more, I want straight answers. Who is being asked to cut? Who is being protected? And is rural Arizona once again expected to absorb the pain while others get credit for talking about conservation?” Martinez said in a statement.

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