Guest opinion

Developers & architects back Engel on water policy

Posted Oct 21, 2022, 2:54 pm

Corky Poster, Dante Archangeli, Bob Lanning, Moniqua Lane, Jerry Dixon, David Wohl & Rick Sack
Special to TucsonSentinel.com

As long-time development professionals in Southern Arizona, we are always mindful of the delicate balance needed between growth and protection of the environment.

We all love Arizona's unique ecosystem and strive to be responsible stewards. Because we are committed to sustainable and environmentally sound development practices, we support Kirsten Engel for Congress in Arizona's 6th Congressional District.

Without a reliable water supply, all growth in Tucson will be hamstrung. Engel has long been a champion of wise water policies that make sense for Southern Arizona. Now more than ever, we need her environmental expertise in Congress.

The federal government has sweeping powers over the Colorado River management, especially the Lower Basin states, which include Arizona. Under the current emergency plan, Arizona will bear the brunt of any further cuts in water distribution from the Colorado.

We are facing a water emergency. There's no time to for a newly elected member of Congress to get up to speed. If Lake Mead and Lake Powell fall much lower, they will be unable to generate hydroelectric power for millions in the West.

Engel has been a leader in the fight to safeguard the west's water. As a legislator, she was a constant advocate for protecting Arizona's precious natural resources. She led the state Democratic caucus on issues related to water and also served on the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Steering Committee.

Southern Arizona has been at the forefront of water conservation and smart water management for decades, and that practical approach is essential at the national level as our precious water resources become even scarcer.

Federal action is urgently required to develop a new plan for water allocation among the Lower Basin states that rely upon the Colorado River, placing less of the burden on Arizona — which has proven to be a more responsible water user — and more on California.

Without immediate action, Arizona will be forced to sacrifice even more, while California and other states continue to use water despite the crisis. This unfair distribution plan is poised inflict harmful consequences on our cities, Tribal governments, and farmers, and imperil the future of Southern Arizona.

The most effective and least disruptive steps — building more storage capacity, developing and implementing less water-intensive farming practices, adopting water reuse and recycling programs, retrofitting homes and businesses with water-efficient appliances — are all sensible and affordable solutions. But even this common-sense approach will take some time to implement.

Compare this practical approach with Gov. Ducey's plan, supported by his former staffer and GOP candidate Juan Ciscomani, to spend $1 billion on a plan to build a desalination plant in Mexico and a pipeline to bring the water into the state.

This impractical proposal would take decades to implement, if it is even feasible. We do not have the luxury of finding out. We can spend that money much more effectively by reducing water usage and water waste today.

Arizona is facing yet more water cuts in the immediate future. Under the 2019 Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan, in 2023 Arizona must cut a fifth of its entire allocation. Engel recognizes that investing in environmentally sustainable physical infrastructure will help us expand our economy while safeguarding our natural resources.

Kirsten Engel has spent her entire professional career giving back to her community and protecting resources for generations to come. She is running for Congress to protect our natural resources and we support her in that effort.