Arizona pushes back on Colorado River cuts

In its effort to secure rights to the Colorado River water, Arizona recently hired a law firm, as its fight has brought implications for Arizona’s economy.

According to Danny Seiden, President of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arizona was asked to assume far more of the cuts than is fair. He says the state gathered millions for infrastructure, and if more cuts are implemented, they would impose an economic burden on Arizona.

Danny Seiden, President and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss more about the topic.

“We’ve just missed two crucial deadlines over the past two years on negotiating out what’s supposed to happen with the cuts,” Seiden said, “…what the feds need to take a good long look at is what the lower basin states have brought…the upper basin states have brought zero, they are not taking this negotiation seriously.”

Seiden emphasized that Arizona has shown amazing leadership despite taking hits and being in a historic drought.

“We have grown our economy, we’ve grown our population,” Seiden discussed, “…we use the same water now…that we did in the 1950s, despite growing our population by millions and millions.”

As Arizona is being asked to shoulder more of its fair share in cuts, Seiden explained that a state’s fair share can be determined by math or by conservation efforts over the last few years.

“For instance, just this past year, Arizona…took on 500,000 voluntary cunts on their own…Colorado does nothing,” Seiden said. “We’re all supposed to be working together, we’re conserving, we’re augmenting our businesses, we’re investing in wastewater treatment facilities, water recycling plants. We’re doing all the right things you should do, and Colorado is literally doing nothing.”

Seiden explained that Arizona is gearing up for a fight, and Colorado needs to come to the table with real numbers, or come to court.