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

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

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

The Rio Verde Foothills Crisis Gets the Governor’s Attention…and a Veto

One of the most explosive local issues in recent memory, the Rio Verde Foothills water crisis, has been moving forward in this year’s legislative session (get up to date on our coverage here). Unfortunately for its residents, it’s not going too well…yet. Indeed, the one bill to help alleviate the crisis has been vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s new … 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