Water (or a potential lack thereof) is the one topic that all Arizonans can agree is of utmost importance both in the near and long-term futures. It is a subject that we have written about extensively and which you can read about here. The drought supercycle that we have endured has largely occurred without much in the way of true … Read More
No Spiking the Football Just Yet: Rio Verde Foothills Demonstrates How Legislation Isn’t the End-All Be-All
The Rio Verde Foothills got some good news recently in their fight for secured water; Senate Bill 1432 was signed by Governor Katie Hobbs last week, thus ending a tumultuous time for the embattled community. But there was a reason why we had some degree of hesitation when it came to declaring victory, and this article exemplifies that concern very … Read More
Guest Editorial: SB1432 – A Win for Scottsdale, Rio Verde Foothills Residents, and Arizona
By Councilmember Solange Whitehead This past week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB1432 into law with an emergency clause. The bipartisan bill creates a path to water security for Rio Verde Foothills residents. I discussed the new law with Mark Brodie on KJZZ’s The Show this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A8w7hlBdFg In passing the law, the State ends a water crisis created in part by … Read More
A Landmark Water Deal Hits Home to Arizona: Have We Solved the Water Crisis?
The 800 pound elephant that is constantly in the gigantic room that is Arizona is water: the specter of dwindling water from our most prominent water sources, of long term drought, and potentially the end of the Arizona (and more overarchingly, the American Southwest) that we have learned to love. We have covered the topic frequently, and you can get … Read More
Is the Light at the End of the Tunnel with Arizona’s Drought?
Not just around the country, but around the world people often have a singular first thought that pops into their mind when they are asked about Arizona: it’s a desert, it’s dry, it’s hot, or something of the sort. Water has always been a significant question mark, but that has intensified in recent years as water levels at our biggest … Read More
Guest Editorial: Why Golf Courses Don’t Deserve Your Blame for the Water Crisis
By Tim Peeler As most people know, Arizona and the rest of the Southwest have been experiencing water shortages for quite some time now. The long-standing drought has obviously brought some major problems to the region which will require collaboration from experts in various fields to solve. Because I am not an expert, I will not be attempting to solve … Read More
Freshman Rep. Kolodin Grabs Spotlight as Major Water Cuts Expected in Scottsdale: Is He Using His Pulpit Effectively?
Regular readers know just how seriously we take the water issue here at the Arizona Progress & Gazette: you can get up to date here. A recent bombshell report by the Scottsdale Water Director shines a new light on Scottsdale’s potential future water deficit, and freshman Representative Alexander Kolodin has used the opportunity to gain the spotlight regarding this issue. … Read More
Mayor Ortega Capitulates on Rio Verde Water Crisis, but Work is Left to Do
Public outrage has a way of swaying politicians. So does looking around and seeing that you’re on an island with a particular view. Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega apparently has learned this firsthand, and it seems to have shifted the conversation regarding the most notable and controversial topic so far this year. After public disagreement and obstinance, it now seems as … Read More
Rio Verde FootHills Water Update: They’re Suing the City, and It Could Have Been Avoided
Regular readers are well aware of the water crisis that’s been unfolding in the Rio Verde Foothills on the outskirts of Scottsdale; if you have not kept up you can get up-to-date here. Now that the water cut-off deadline has come and gone the situation has gotten ever more tense in the unincorporated municipality, with the desperation of the citizenry … Read More
The Countdown is Over in the Rio Verde Foothills: Cooler Heads Didn’t Prevail
The potential consequences of water security in a high growth area that also happens to be in a desert have been looming over the valley for quite some time, and Ground Zero for that looming crisis has been the Rio Verde Foothills on the outskirts of Scottsdale. We have written about this crisis previously, and while the question was up … Read More