Arizona’s water crisis has reached a tipping point, and Scottsdale’s recent experiences serve as a stark preview of what may await the entire state. As the Colorado River continues its relentless decline through more than two decades of drought, Arizona faces an increasingly precarious water future that demands immediate attention and long-term strategic planning. The Numbers Don’t Lie: Arizona will … Read More
The Intersection of Water and Industry in Arizona: How New Jobs Also Equals New Challenges
Two issues have taken a lot of real estate at the Arizona Progress & Gazette are water and industry. Usually they end up being separated because they are nuanced-enough subjects in their own right, but occasionally they merge, and in one particular case it spells out the massive potential challenges that await our state. For those of you who use … Read More
Phoenix’s Water Management Dilemma: Politics, Sustainability and Resources
By Grace Chapman Within the arid landscape of Arizona, water is a necessary resource as this summer saw scorching temperatures up to 116 degrees. Therefore it is imperative that Arizona’s local and state governments understand how to navigate water resources within the state. Phoenix faces a formidable challenge of managing water resources during climate change and growing urbanization. Most of … Read More
Statement from Supervisor Thomas Galvin on Rio Verde Foothills Standpipe Decision
“The Arizona Corporation Commission approved EPCOR’s application to construct a standpipe for water service to the Rio Verde Foothills community today. This is the long-term solution that I worked towards since becoming a member of the Board of Supervisors and serving District 2. I am happy that the good folks in Rio Verde Foothills will have a long-term, reliable water … Read More
Guest Editorial: Defending Scottsdale water is no vice
By Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega This week, two significant water-related issues made the headlines. First, Governor Hobbs acted to stop Fondomonte, the Saudi Arabia-owned alfalfa farm, to halt it from draining billions of gallons of Arizona groundwater. Secondly, the Rio Verde Standpipe District met state statutes and City of Scottsdale’s stringent requirements to operate, serving Rio Verde Foothills (RVF). Supervisor … Read More
Guest Editorial: Statement from County Supervisor Thomas Galvin on Return of Reliable Water to Rio Verde Foothills
By Supervisor Thomas Galvin “I am grateful that water is once again flowing to Rio Verde Foothills (RVF), but I am still baffled why it took this long. After all, my solution to this unnecessary crisis has been on the table for the past year. Instead, there was ten months of unnecessary pain to the Rio Verde Foothills. And City of Scottsdale residents were not … Read More
The First Big Shoe to Drop in Arizona’s Water Crisis: Farming
As regular readers know, water is a subject that we frequently write about; we don’t think we need to explain the importance of it to us. While the Rio Verde Foothills seems to be mostly behind us at this point, water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell are ever-present concerns in our … Read More
The Consequences of Drought are Here: No More Front Lawns for New Scottsdale Homes
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