Earlier today, the Trump Administration released its plan for how to deal with the flow of Colorado River Water to Upper and Lower Basin States that depend on that vital resource.
Unfortunately, residents in the Lower Basin ones in Arizona, California, and Nevada, in the new plan, would reap the brunt of the water supply cuts compared to the Upper Basin States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
Many of Arizona’s Democratic Leaders released statements today responding to the Trump plan.
Some of the key statement descriptors describing the below Arizona Democrats’ discontent toward the federal plan are “Unfair,” “Inequitable,” “Burdensome,” “Disproportionate,” “Punishment,” “Draconian,” “Devastating,” “Future Growth at risk,” “Unreasonable and Unacceptable,” and “Failure of Leadership.”
In other words, Arizona’s Democrats are very pissed off at the screwing handed to the Grand Canyon State by Donald Trump and his Climate Change denialism and anti-science gang at the Interior Department.
Governor Katie Hobbs wrote in a Gubernatorial Press Release:
“Today, the federal government released a broad range of alternatives for how the Colorado River will be managed over the next ten years. Within that range is the opportunity for the federal government to adopt the commonsense, compromise proposal put forward by Lower Basin States for 2027 and 2028. Our proposal is one of the largest conservation programs in Colorado River history and builds on Arizona’s decades-long commitment to responsible water stewardship. While this FEIS still contains unacceptable options that include the federal government forcing Arizona to take the majority of draconian water cutbacks, implementing the Lower Basin agreement would protect Arizona from massive water cuts, distribute reductions more fairly across the Lower Basin States, and provide stability and protection to the water supply that our communities rely upon.
“As the federal government finalizes their operating plans for 2027 and 2028, my administration will be working around the clock advocating for an approach that protects the stability of the system, distributes water reductions equitably, and ensures water security for all Colorado River water users. I remain steadfast in my commitment to a long-term Colorado River solution that ensures every state in the system shares in its conservation.
“Arizona provides the agricultural produce, critical minerals, weapons defense systems, and cutting-edge semiconductors that feed America, protect America, and fuel America’s high-tech economy. No other state in the Colorado River basin can say the same. We developed the Lower Basin Proposal to increase water resiliency for the region and ensure that no single state was bearing the burden alone. Inequitable, federally imposed cuts to our Colorado River water allocation will be unacceptable to Arizonans, and will put every American at risk. Previous federal proposals to slash Arizona’s Colorado River water would be devastating for our nation as we work to compete with China in the AI race, onshore critical supply chains, feed the country, and rebuild our depleted missile stockpile. I will continue making that case to the federal government and fighting relentlessly to protect Arizona’s fair share of the Colorado River so our families can feel confident we will have the water we need to turn on the taps, nourish our crops, and grow our economy well into the future.”
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego wrote:
“Solving the Colorado River crisis demands a fair, basin-wide solution in which every stakeholder is asked to sacrifice. Instead, the federal government takes aim at Arizona and Lower Basin states even though we continue to do our part and conservation is a core part of our culture. Phoenix has spent decades planning for a moment like this, and is prepared to use less Colorado River water, but it is wrong to lay a disproportionate share of the burden on Arizona.”
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes posted:
“I have fought to protect Arizona’s water supply throughout my time as Attorney General, and I will continue to work to safeguard our state’s most precious resource. Arizona must be protected from draconian cuts to our share of Colorado River water. Adopting the common-sense Lower Basin agreement is the clear path forward. We can secure the Colorado River’s future without placing a disproportionate burden on any one state. I urge the federal government and other states to move forward with an agreement that is fair and sustainable for everyone who depends on this water supply.”
Arizona Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan said in an office statement:
“Arizona has done its part to put significant Colorado River reductions on the table along with the other Lower Basin states, and we continue to pursue ways to increase efficiency and strengthen our water protections in-state. The framework released today still includes options that would force Arizona to carry far more than its fair share of water reductions. That would put our communities, economy, and future growth at risk. We will continue fighting for a final agreement that treats every state fairly and protects Arizona families, workers, and businesses.”
Arizona Senate Democratic Whip Rosanna Gabaldón wrote in the same press release:
“Water is the foundation of our communities and our economy. Our farmers, Tribal nations, businesses, and families have worked for decades to use water responsibly. Arizona should not be punished for leading on conservation while others refuse to do their part. We will keep fighting for a solution that protects our water, respects Arizona’s legal rights, and ensures future generations have the resources they need to thrive.”
Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego issued a joint statement that read:
“The framework outlined in the Department of Interior’s Final Environmental Impact Statement could place an unfair burden on Arizona, including the possibility of reducing the Lower Basin’s Colorado River allocation by as much as 40 percent, without requiring comparable commitments from the Upper Basin. Arizona, California, and Nevada have already put forward a fair, practical proposal to stabilize Lake Mead and Lake Powell through shared conservation, and that proposal should serve as the foundation for the next set of Colorado River operating guidelines 2027 and 2028.
“We remain committed to working with all seven Basin states, Tribal nations, water users, and the federal government to reach a durable agreement that protects Arizona’s water future, strengthens the Colorado River system, and ensures every Basin partner does its part.”
Representative Yassamin Ansari offered:
“Solving the Colorado River crisis requires all seven states to share the burden. Instead, the Department of the Interior proposed a framework that would devastate Arizona’s water users and economy.
I call on the Department of the Interior to adopt the Lower Basin proposal—one that secures the Colorado River’s future while protecting Arizona. Arizona has contributed to the solution. Now we need a balanced path forward that protects our water future.”
Representative Adelita Grijalva conveyed:
“While we are still awaiting the final operational plans for the next two years, any proposal that imposes the vast majority of cuts on Arizona is unreasonable and unacceptable — especially while Upper Basin states continue to hide behind an outdated legal framework that is disconnected from today’s hydrologic realities, allowing them to avoid making meaningful reductions to their own water use.
I will continue fighting for Arizona’s CAP users in our cities and towns, who have made extraordinary investments and sacrifices over the past several decades to reduce water use. I will also continue advocating for agricultural producers in Yuma County, whose work is essential to keeping America’s food supply strong and reducing grocery prices. I will continue standing with Arizona’s Tribal Nations, whose hard-fought water settlements must be respected.
The responsibility for reducing water consumption must be shared fairly among all Colorado River Basin states, and the final plan must respect Arizona’s legal water rights. Only an equitable, seven-state approach will put the Colorado River on a sustainable path, prevent dangerously low reservoir levels, and protect this critical resource for generations to come.”
Representative Greg Stanton posted:
“Solving the Colorado River crisis for the long term demands a fair, workable, basin-wide solution where every state has skin in the game. What we got today is the opposite. Again and again, the federal government refuses to force the Upper Basin to put cuts on the table and entertains scenarios that would devastate Arizona. It is a total failure of leadership.
Making Arizona shoulder the burden of a shrinking Colorado River ignores our decades of leadership in water conservation, and it ignores our economic and national security importance. Arizona is now America’s semiconductor capital. Hundreds of chipmakers and suppliers operate in the Phoenix metro area, building the cutting-edge chips required for everything from consumer electronics to the defense systems flown from our military bases.
As Mayor and now in Congress, I have worked to prepare Arizona to use less Colorado River water through strong investments in conservation and water recycling in urban and rural areas alike. My top priority is to keep the pain of these cuts as minimal as possible for Arizona families and businesses.
I will work with state and federal negotiators to see the Lower Basin Proposal realized and restore some certainty before current guidelines expire. Arizona won’t compromise its legal rights to water without all seven states fairly sacrificing to ensure the future of the Colorado River.”
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