PHOENIX — Governor Katie Hobbs and some of the state's leading water managers began filling in the blanks regarding how much Colorado River water Arizona will conserve as part of the new agreement reached by the lower basin states.
"All of this is being done through voluntary agreement. But we're probably on target for somewhere close to 1.8-million-acre feet or so coming out of Arizona," said Tom Bushatzke, Arizona's Director of Water Resources.
Arizona, California and Nevada announced Monday they agreed to conserve an additional three-million-acre feet of Colorado River water combined over the next three years. "I think what is important about this proposal is that it gives us a chance to have some breathing room and start focusing on what 2026 looks like," Governor Hobbs said.
Arizona's contribution will be significant.
1.8-million-acre feet equates to enough water to supply 3.6 million households over the three-year span. "We're still doing the bulk of the heavy lifting," Bushatzke said.
Currently, Arizona has rights to 2.8-million-acre feet annually of Colorado River water.
The Gila River Indian Nation uses 25% of the allocation.
Among Arizona's cities, tribes and water districts contributing to the state's conservation effort, the Gila's donation is the largest, up to 375,000-acre feet thru 2026. "We take this seriously and there's going to be a lot of hard work ahead of us," Gila River Indian Nation Governor Stephen Roe Lewis said.
The Department of Interior still needs to approve the agreement and a decision is not expected until the fall.
