Water conservation is top priority

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

The blessing of a heavy summer monsoon rain can make Arizona's oppressive drought — which only a few short months ago had sparked destructive wildfires across our state — seem so far away. That is the restorative power of water and nature.

But the reality is this is enough to keep us all up at night, worried for the immediate future of our state and for future generations. The drought needle has not moved, except in the wrong direction. The much-forewarned reality is upon us and no rainstorm can fix it.

The Colorado River is in shortage. On Aug. 16, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released two-year projections for the water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two major water storage reservoirs on the Colorado River. Water levels at Lake Mead are projected to drop so low that they will trigger mandatory cuts to the water that can be withdrawn from Lake Mead.

The impacts of a statewide water crisis were apparent even before this reality check. In rural areas outside of Central Arizona, wells have gone dry, aquifers have collapsed, and fissures have opened from groundwater overpumping. In a classic tragedy of the commons, groundwater over pumping will raise the cost of wells, damage homes, roads and pipes — and destroy aquifers.

Confronting aridification of the West requires an all-hands approach and an all-parties acknowledgement that climate change is happening right before our eyes. No government entity with the ability to make a difference can afford to sit this out, or actively make it worse.

It is beyond time to act. While we cannot stop all the effects of climate change and burgeoning consumption, every elected leader and fellow Arizonan, regardless of political party, must commit to building a sustainable and resilient economy that relies on a reduced water supply, in addition to advocating for clean, renewable energy sources.

So far, the Legislature has refused to be bold on solutions that tackle drought and water conservation. Last legislative session, my Democratic colleagues and I introduced a package of forward- thinking bills to protect the quantity and quality of Arizona's water resources — from drinking water, lakes, rivers and streams to our state's precious aquifers.

In typical fashion, Republicans in control at the state Capitol prevented these bills from receiving a single hearing. What's more, the GOP majority also blocked critical legislation from members of its own party who have been demanding action as wells in their districts cease to exist.

The 2019 Drought Contingency Plan, which I supported, expires in less than four years. The plan is short-term, and it did not go as far as I would have hoped to conserve our water supply.

Meanwhile, local leaders are leading the way. Tucson's mayor and City Council, led by Mayor Regina Romero, are building sustainable water infrastructure, and Pima County's Board of Supervisors, led by Chair Sharon Bronson, are rightly advancing regional water reclamation and water recharge policies. This progress ought to be applauded, and our state must lead with the same courage and urgency.

The statewide reality is this: The Arizona Department of Water Resources is underfunded, we're losing state hydrologists to the private sector year after year, and a recent Arizona auditor general report shows that we are several years behind schedule on water management plans meant to help us plan into the future.

Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona's GOP legislators can no longer point fingers when discussing drought. It's time they look in the mirror. Wishing the problem away will not work. Neither will a rainstorm, except as a momentary blessing. And a proposed pipeline to wetter states smacks of a pipe dream.

When Arizona's Legislature convenes again in January, water conservation must be a meaningful, bipartisan priority. We owe it to our loved ones to do the right thing and get to work.

Andrés Cano represents Legislative District 3 (Tucson) in the Arizona House of Representatives. Representative Cano is the Ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Natural Resources, Energy, & Water.

ANDRéS CANO

Special to the Arizona Daily Star