Tensions rise over company's plan to sell Colorado River water in Arizona

[Kali]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/01/30/plan-to-sell-colorado-river-water-in-arizona-sparks-tensions/4295089001/

Mayors and county supervisors in towns along the Colorado River were already upset five months ago when the state water agency endorsed an investment company’s plan to take water from farmland near the river and sell it to a growing Phoenix suburb.

Now, they're incensed that the agency, which initially suggested holding back a large portion of the water, changed its stance and will let the company sell most of the water to the town of Queen Creek.

Elected leaders in communities along the river say they intend to continue trying to stop the proposed deal, which would need to be approved by the federal Bureau of Reclamation. They argue that sending water away from rural communities to support growth in Arizona’s suburbs would threaten the agricultural economy and clear the way for a flurry of more "buy-and-dry" deals by investors seeking to profit from water.

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Some Arizona legislators are trying to pass a bill that would block this sort of water-selling. A group of county and city officials in Mohave, La Paz and Yuma counties have vehemently opposed the plan and are calling for the Biden administration to carry out a thorough review.

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more at link

[Mosby]

1. The fact is though that the burbs use way less water than farms.

Growing lettuce, broccoli etc in Arizona is a pretty poor use of our water resources in the first place.

[Kali]

3. growing food is different function

than growing stucco boxes. though the functions are deeply intertwined. this is another rural vs (sub)urban conflict. however the real danger here is private companies buying up productive farmland and transferring water outside of their local areas. interesting that Grady Gamage is taking the private company's case.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. To get a good sense of the issue of water in the desert southwest,

read Cadillac Desert by Marc Reiser. Despite the fact that it came out in 1986, it's still a timely read.

[Kali]

4. you can get an even better sense just living here

well, that is if you are actually materially dependent on water and not fooled by the fake abundance and low cost in most cities.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. I don't think most people who actually live in places

like Phoenix or Las Vegas actually get it. They have lawns and back yard pools as if their water supply was bountiful and endless.

I live in Santa Fe, NM myself. The citizens of this city actually use about half the amount of water or people anywhere else in the country. Installing new backyard pools was forbidden in 1996. Very few people have lawns. I actually thought long and hard about moving to Santa Fe when I did so in 2008, because I was well aware of the problem of water in this part of the country. I was pleasantly surprised at how frugal people here are about water.

[Kali]

6. nothing like lawns, lots of green golfcourses, and artifical lakes to maintain the delusion

pools can actually be maintained pretty conservatively if they are kept covered most of the time, but that doesn't work so well where it gets really hot. not exactly refreshing to dive into a 95 degree pool when it is 110 out.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. I have also lived in Phoenix and Tucson.

The only way you can dress for the heat in those cities is to wear an air-conditioned car.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Two major operations

have not received exposure as they should. The Colorado Water Shed includes the Green River Water shed areas. When a China Investment Group bought out a massive Irrigated Produce and Alfalfa growing operation at Green River Utah a few years ago,the Irrigation Water Rights went with that project which grows Alfalfa to be shipped to China.

And another China Investment Group Purchase thousands of acres of Irrigated Land with like water rights along the California Arizona Borders for a similiar Alfalfa grow operation. Which ships the hay back to china.

[Kali]

8. I know a lot of alfalfa gets shipped overseas (insane!)

but wasn't aware of Chinese ownership. do you know the name of company (companies)?

[Wellstone ruled]

9. Sorry,don't have the names.

Do remember they were set up as Real Estate Holding Companies with local addresses at the time.