Current Arizona water use issues and fears for summer

There are currently two big water issues in the news, including concerns about water in Arizona.

The top federal representative to the Upper Colorado River Commission was forced to resign by President Donald Trump. Anne Castle was appointed by the Biden Administration in 2022. Castle said she resigned because she is worried about “the future under Trump.” Castle said this order to release water from California reservoirs shows President Trump’s “total lack of understanding about how the system works.”

To talk about these issues, Sarah Porter, Director of Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU, joined “Arizona Horizon.”

Castle is “a real expert on the Colorado River, and she was in the Obama Administration,” Porter said. “She was part of the team in the Interior Department representing the federal government in negotiations and management of the Colorado River. She’s a lawyer,” added Porter. This history makes Castle’s insights valuable for addressing water issues in Arizona, Porter said.

Also, President Trump ordered two reservoirs to be emptied, who said it would have prevented the wildfires had it been released sooner, although experts said that is not true. They instead said they had enough water, but the issue was the weather and the terrain.

The release of the water has also prompted concern from farmers who said President Trump’s release of water came too early in the season to be useful for growers. As a result, they may have less water for crops when they need it. Many farmers support President Trump and his quick action, saying they don’t think he was maliciously trying to harm farmers. Others said that may be the case if this keeps up. They fear farmers will be in trouble as summer approaches due to water issues in Arizona.

“But I think the bigger issue for many people is the Water Management of California, and this is true of Arizona. It’s complex, and when you push in one place, you may have downstream ramifications that are significant,” said Porter.

It’s better not to make decisions that change water management without considering all those impacts, Porter explained.