Governor Katie Hobbs, Bipartisan Arizona Legislators Call for Arizona Farmers, Businesses, Families to Receive Fair Share of Colorado River Water

Phoenix, AZ -  Today, Governor Katie Hobbs and bipartisan leaders of the Arizona State Legislature - Senate President Warren Peterson, House Speaker Steve Montenegro, Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan, and House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos have issued a joint, bipartisan letter to the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, urging the federal government to break the Colorado River negotiation logjam caused by Upper Basin states and advocating for Arizona farmers, families, and businesses get their fair share of water. 

“The Colorado River is shared by 7 States, and it benefits 7 States - there must be water conservation efforts in all 7 States within the Colorado River Basin,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “The extreme negotiating position of the Upper Basin states would force the Lower Basin to bear the entirety of water cuts, which is an unacceptable outcome for Arizona families, farmers, and businesses. I continue to urge the federal government to step up in the Colorado River negotiations and bring the Upper Basin States to the table with real water contributions. I’m glad to lead bipartisan efforts to advocate for Arizona getting our fair share of Colorado River water and look forward to continued work to get a reasonable deal done.”

For decades, Arizona has led the west in water management, conserving over five million acre-feet of water to protect Lake Mead, through both voluntary and mandatory reductions. Colorado River water is used across Arizona - from Yuma County, where 90% of the United States and Canada’s leafy greens are grown each year, to Phoenix and Tucson, where millions of residents reside and Arizona’s high-tech manufacturing economy is a key driver for AI innovation. 

Arizona remains committed to conserving water and protecting the Colorado River, and has developed several proposals with Nevada and California to more sustainably manage the Colorado River. The negotiation position of Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado is a complete refusal to implement water conservation commitments in the Upper Basin, jeopardizing a consensus Colorado River deal. Governor Hobbs will continue advocating for a common sense Colorado River deal that protects Arizona’s fair share of water during a meeting next week with Interior Secretary Burgum. 

The Joint Letter can be found here.