By Lisa Borowsky | Mayor of Scottsdale
Water has always shaped Arizona’s story.
It determines where communities grow, where businesses invest and how future generations will live and prosper in the Sonoran Desert. It is not just another public policy issue. Water is Arizona’s lifeline.
This reality is why I invest significant time in service on the Board of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA), in the Protect Arizona’s Lifeline Coalition, and focusing on important education and discussion regarding Scottsdale’s water future. Together, we are working to ensure Arizona’s voice is heard as the federal government announces the new framework for the Colorado River — the most important water source for millions of people across the Southwest.
For Scottsdale, the stakes are especially high.
About 70% of Scottsdale’s water supply comes from the Central Arizona Project (CAP), which delivers Colorado River water to communities throughout central Arizona. Due to ongoing drought conditions throughout the Colorado River Basin, Scottsdale is anticipating reductions in its CAP water allocation. As federal officials consider additional reductions for Arizona, California and Nevada, the decisions being made today will have real consequences for communities across our state, including Scottsdale.
This week, federal officials at the Bureau of Reclamation released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that outlines the framework for Arizona, California and Nevada to realize Colorado River water allocation reductions with potentially deeper reductions later in the decade. But I have some serious reservations regarding the federal framework.
I would like to point out critical facts including:
- Arizona has serious concerns with the FEIS. The framework contains legal flaws, downplays the Colorado River Compact and mischaracterizes Arizona’s Colorado River rights.
- The Lower Basin is leading. Arizona, California and Nevada have committed to conserve at least 3.2 million acre-feet through 2028, building on more than 9 million acre-feet already conserved since 2007.
- Consensus works. The Lower Basin states came together and proposed a practical plan that protects reservoir levels and provides near-term stability for the river.
- We expect the Bureau of Reclamation 2027-28 operating plan to reflect key elements of the Lower Basin proposal.
- The FEIS is a framework, not a final operating plan. It establishes guardrails for river management and calls for operating decisions in two-year increments based on actual hydrology.
- The FEIS does little to encourage true basin-wide consensus. Long-term success requires meaningful contributions from all seven basin states.
- Arizona continues to lead on conservation. The state conserved nearly 900,000 acre-feet last year and more than 5.5 million acre-feet since 2014, enough to raise Lake Mead more than 80 feet.
- Arizona is using less Colorado River water than it has in 35 years. Our actions demonstrate a strong commitment to responsible water management.
These are not easy conversations, but they are necessary ones.
The Colorado River provides drinking water to roughly one in 10 Americans, irrigates farmland that helps feed the nation and supports major metropolitan economies throughout the Southwest. Yet decades of drought and declining river flows have forced policymakers to confront the reality that the river can no longer support the same level of demand it once did. The good news is that Scottsdale has spent decades preparing for challenges exactly like this.
Our community has long been recognized as a leader in water conservation, aquifer recharge, pure water technology and responsible long-term planning. Scottsdale’s investment in water stewardship has helped build one of the most resilient municipal water systems in the region.
But resilience does not eliminate responsibility.
Earlier this month, the Scottsdale City Council unanimously supported my initiative to begin exploring a large water user ordinance. The proposed ordinance would provide the City Council and the public with an additional framework for reviewing developments and business operations that have significant water demands while reinforcing Scottsdale’s longstanding commitment to responsible water management.
When a community is facing a projected reduction in a major water supply source, it is only prudent to carefully evaluate how future large water users fit within our long-term development expectations in light of the city’s conservation and sustainability goals.
Arizona has already demonstrated that collaboration and innovation can help address even the most difficult water challenges. Cities, water providers, tribal communities, agricultural users and state leaders have worked together for decades to stretch limited supplies further than many thought possible.
That same spirit of cooperation will be needed in the years ahead.
As a member of AMWUA and the Protect Arizona’s Lifeline coalition, I will continue advocating for policies that recognize Arizona’s conservation efforts, protect the long-term viability of the Colorado River and ensure our state has a strong voice in decisions that affect our residents.
Water security is not just an environmental issue.
It is an economic issue.
It is a public safety issue.
It is a quality-of-life issue.
Most importantly, it is a responsibility we owe to future generations. Scottsdale has never waited for a crisis before taking action. By planning ahead, investing wisely and making thoughtful policy decisions today, we can continue protecting our water resources and strengthening our community for decades to come.
I encourage Scottsdale residents to stay informed, conserve where they can and participate in the conversations that will shape Arizona’s water future. Water stewardship is not solely the responsibility of government — it is a shared commitment that belongs to all of us.
Because preserving Arizona’s lifeline is about more than water — it is about protecting Scottsdale’s future.
Editor’s Note: Lisa Borowsky is mayor of Scottsdale serving her first term.
