What the new Colorado River rules mean for Phoenix
Cuts will likely put city in Stage 2 conservation protocol, council member says
Posted
Anna Hernandez
Submitted photo/City of Phoenix
Long-term water sustainability requires more than asking residents to conserve water. It requires holding the largest industrial and corporate users accountable for their consumption and ensuring that every sector is doing its fair share.”
Tell Us What You Think
What are your thoughts mandatory Colorado River water cuts and how will you do your part as a Phoenician to conserve water? Tell us in 300 words or less at yourvalley.net/letters, or email your comments, name, address and contact number to AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
OPINION — You may have seen the headlines: The federal government is finalizing new operating guidelines for Colorado River water, set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
The seven states along the river have spent years negotiating how to absorb cuts to a system that's been overallocated for decades.
As for Arizona, along with the other lower-basin states of Nevada and California, we expect to see a significant reduction in our share of water. Given that Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona, we will be impacted by the cuts.
I want to be direct and honest with you about what this means for our community. The impacts of unaddressed climate change, increased drought, higher temperatures and reduced snowfall in the Rocky Mountains play a huge part in the Colorado River crisis. Additionally, unchecked development and willful overconsumption of our limited water supplies also play a huge part in the crisis.
It is not going anywhere and will not be solved overnight or by a good rain. In truth, we are moving quickly into damage-control territory.
It's time for us to acknowledge that unlimited growth in the desert under climate collapse is incompatible with long-term water security.
For decades, Phoenix staff have anticipated this crisis and have done a good job to diversify where our water comes from. We are not as reliant on the Colorado River as other cities in the Valley.
Regardless of the diligent work we have done to prepare for this crisis, Phoenix will still have to act wisely and with urgency. City staff have presented a projected range of 25% to 50% mandatory cuts to our Colorado River supply.
Because a cut of this size means Phoenix will rely on backup water supplies to sustain itself, we anticipate this will trigger a move to a Stage 2 Water Warning under our Drought Management Plan this year.
No one in District 7 will see an interruption to their water service. Thanks to decades of planning — underground water storage, the Drought Pipeline, expanded groundwater wells and investments like Pure Water Phoenix — our city is prepared in ways many others aren’t.
Stage 2 will call for all of us to make voluntary reductions in our water use. This moment asks us to learn to adapt how we collectively consume water, and how we can be water and land stewards with reverence for Earth’s natural resources.
This is also a moment for accountability. Long-term water sustainability requires more than asking residents to conserve water. It requires holding the largest industrial and corporate users accountable for their consumption and ensuring that every sector is doing its fair share.
I’ll keep pushing for transparency about how decisions around water are made and who they affect first.
Being PHX Water Smart isn’t just a slogan, it’s part of how we take care of this place and each other for the long haul.
Anna Hernandez represents District 7 on the Phoenix City Council. This was distributed as part of her newsletter. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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