(Editor’s note: Opinion pieces are published for discussion purposes only.)
Pinal Central
Arizona has done a pretty good job of dealing with scant water supplies up to now, realizing that more and more people want to live in this desert climate. Two of the biggest parts of that planning were the passage of groundwater reform nearly 40 years ago and the receipt of Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project soon after. On Wednesday, however, an Arizona Supreme Court decision cast a shadow over the status quo.
The court ruled in a 4-3 decision that a developer could build up to 7,000 homes in the Sierra Vista area even though the necessary water may be lacking. This legal victory for the developer followed multiple vetoes by Gov. Doug Ducey of special-interest legislation that would have allowed the development. The court’s ruling said that the development can go ahead in spite of the fact that other claims to the water exist, including from the federal government to protect the San Pedro River. In fact, the decision says that the home buyers themselves may someday not have water because of other claims. Dissent from two justices was strong, but that is little consolation.
