By Mayor Lisa Borowsky Water has always shaped Arizona’s story. It determines where communities grow, where businesses invest and how future generations will live and prosper in the Sonoran Desert. It is not just another public policy issue. Water is Arizona’s lifeline. This reality is why I invest significant time in service on the Board of the Arizona Municipal Water Users … Read More
Scottsdale responds to Colorado River environmental impact statement, emphasizing long-term water resilience
Mayor Borowsky: Decades of planning position Scottsdale to meet challenges ahead Following the Bureau of Reclamation’s release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that outlines the framework for Arizona, California and Nevada to realize Colorado River water allocation reductions, Scottsdale leaders are reaffirming the city’s commitment to responsible water management and long-term planning. Under the newly announced framework, Scottsdale expects to … Read More
Scottsdale’s Water Reckoning Arrives With the Colorado River Plan
Federal officials will unveil their Colorado River plan next week, and for Scottsdale and other cities in the area, the news is unlikely to bring relief. Quite the opposite. The pain lands here first Scottsdale draws roughly 70% of its water from the Central Arizona Project. That canal now sits at the center of a shrinking river. Federal officials will … Read More
Guest Editorial: Photo Ops Won’t Secure Scottsdale’s Water Future
By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead This week, a Council majority is staging a photo opportunity at Scottsdale’s Water Campus to reassure residents that Scottsdale’s water future is secure. It isn’t. The backdrop may be our award-winning Water Campus, but the reality is different. The experts who built Scottsdale’s nationally recognized water utility are gone. Funding for critical water projects has been … Read More
Scottsdale City Council advances Mayor Borowsky’s large water user ordinance initiative
From the Office of Mayor Lisa Borowsky Scottsdale is taking a significant step toward strengthening long-term water stewardship as the Scottsdale City Council unanimously directed the city manager and city attorney to agendize a work study session on the potential creation of a large water user ordinance. The proposed ordinance initiative, championed by Mayor Lisa Borowsky, is being developed in … Read More
Scottsdale’s Water Security Began Decades Ago
By Thyra Ryden-Diaz, PE, MPA – Scottsdale Water Interim Senior Director Recent discussion surrounding Scottsdale’s purchase of additional Long-Term Storage Credits prompted understandable questions about the City’s long-term water strategy. Water is one of our most valuable resources, and Scottsdale has planned for decades to assure the supply. The most important thing residents should know is this: the City Council … Read More
The Colorado River Is Running Out of Time. So Is Scottsdale.
By Ronald Sampson The seven states that share the Colorado River have now blown through two consecutive deadlines to renegotiate water-sharing rules. They missed November 2025. They missed February 2026. With the existing federal guidelines expiring this fall, the U.S. Department of the Interior is increasingly likely to impose its own interim framework on the basin, whether the states agree … Read More
Do They Know We Have an Impending Water Crisis?
By Alexander Lomax The Numbers Are Not Subtle Scottsdale gets roughly 70 to 75 percent of its tap water from the Colorado River via the Central Arizona Project canal. The current agreement governing CAP allocations expires at the end of 2026. Negotiations among the seven Colorado River Basin states have stalled. The federal government may impose cuts when that agreement … Read More
Guest Editorial: Preparing for what we can’t predict
By Thyra Ryden-Diaz, PE, MPA Interim Senior Director – Scottsdale Water Good water management is not about predicting the future. It is about preparing for it. The future of water in the Southwest will be influenced by many factors. Some are within our control. Others are not. Scottsdale cannot determine how much snow falls in the Rocky Mountains. We cannot … Read More
Op-Ed: Let’s Talk Honestly About Scottsdale’s Water Future
By Thyra Ryden-Diaz, Scottsdale Water Interim Senior Director If you follow water news in the Southwest, you’ve likely noticed a shift in tone in recent months. While the headlines remain serious, the conversation is becoming more balanced. Alongside concerns about drought and Colorado River reductions, there is growing recognition of the planning, investments, and regional cooperation helping stabilize the system. … Read More