Today’s decision asks Arizona to shoulder even more of the burden while failing to require proportional participation across the entire Colorado River Basin. A framework requiring Arizona to absorb disproportionate reductions while failing to hold other users to lesser mandates does not provide the fairness, durability, or certainty our state and citizens deserve. The Greater Phoenix Chamber is disappointed that the U.S. Department of the Interior’s approach to future Colorado River operations places an inequitable share of the burden on Arizona without securing the comprehensive, basin-wide commitments needed to stabilize the river system for the long term.
For Arizona and Greater Phoenix businesses, water certainty equals economic certainty. Employers, investors, and communities need a reliable and balanced plan that reflects Arizona’s decades of responsible water management and supports continued growth across our region. Arizona has aggressively prepared for this moment, investing, conserving, and leading the way on solutions that protect both the river and the economic future of the Southwest.
The Greater Phoenix Chamber is grateful to Arizona’s elected officials and state water leaders and will continue to support efforts to push for an outcome that requires all basin states to contribute meaningfully to the river’s future. As expected, Arizona will continue to be a leader, but any resilient and viable agreement must uphold our state’s water-stewerdship record, safeguard the significant investments made by our communities and businesses, and advance a basin-wide approach that holds all Colorado River Basin states accountable for the river’s long-term future.