By Camryn Sanchez || Arizona Capitol Times January 6, 2023
Representatives from several groups announced their environmental priorities for the 2023 legislative session, focusing on water and discouraging desalination in the wake of Colorado River cuts.
Arizona entered a Tier 2a Colorado River water shortage on Jan. 1, meaning that tribal and agricultural land will see an immediate slash to their water supplies. Other basin states will also be affected by the water shortage, which experts warn will continue to worsen.
At a press conference on Jan. 3, a handful of representatives spoke for 42 organizations, including the Arizona Heritage Alliance, Chispa Arizona and 16 religious groups.
Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Director Sandy Bahr said that her group does not support a desalination plant proposal pushed by former Gov. Doug Ducey. The proposal is from an Israeli group, IDE Technologies, and would entail building a desalination plant on the Sea of Cortez in Mexico and pumping clean water 200 miles north into Central Arizona Project’s water facility in Arizona.
Several lawmakers opposed the way the proposal was presented and accused Ducey and his allies of making backroom deals with IDE before the Legislature had given the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority the power to move forward with any such plan.
Gov. Katie Hobbs said on Jan. 4 that she doesn’t support the desalination proposal either, but the wheels may already be in motion as the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority has the power and funds to make deals.
Bahr didn’t propose a way for Arizona to bring in new sources of water as an alternative to desalination but emphasized conservation. She cited concerns about the potential environmental impact of a desalination plant on wildlife in the Gulf of California and questioned why the Arizona agriculture industry gets so much funding and water. She suggested the use of water-saving irrigation and a move to crops that use less water.
