>>> A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO
ALL THE TALK AT ARIZONA'S
CAPITAL WAS ABOUT WHETHER
LAWMAKERS COULD PASS A DROUGHT
CONTINGENCY PLAN AHEAD OF A
DEADLINE FI
DEADLINE AT THE END OF JANUARY.
IT'S ONE OF SEVEN STATES
COLORADO RESERVOIRS LIKE LAKE
MADE.
IT APPEARED ARIZONA CAME UP WITH
A SOLUTION IN TIME.
ARIZONA MAY STILL COMPLY IF
LAWMAKERS CAN FINISH SIGNING
AGREEMENTS BY EARLY MARCH.
LUKE RUNYON COVERS THE COLORADO
RIVER BASIN FOR KUNC RADIO IN
NORTHERN COLORADO.
VIA SKYPE, WE GOT HIS TAKE.
>>> LUKE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME.
DID ARIZONA MEET ITS DEADLINE?
>> IT DEPENDS WHO YOU ASK.
IF YOU ASK PEOPLE IN ARIZONA
THEY'LL SAY, YES, WE DID, WE
PASSED A BILL THROUGH THE
LEGISLATURE, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE
SUPPOSED TO DO.
IF YOU ASK REPRESENTATIVES FROM
THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, THEY
WOULD SAY, NO, THE STATE HAD TOO
MANY LOOSE ENDS, THERE WERE SIDE
AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE STATE,
BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL WATER
DISTRICTS, BETWEEN TRIBES THAT
HAD NOT BEEN FINISHED AND THAT
THE DEAL WAS A LITTLE BIT TOO
FRAGILE FOR THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO SAY, YES, YOU HAVE
MET THIS PARTICULAR DEADLINE.
>> YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS
PRETTY CLOSELY.
WHAT'S MAYBE ONE OF THE LARGER
HICCUPS THAT IS PROBABLY
UNBEKNOWNST TO MANY PEOPLE
SITTING AT HOME WATCHING THIS
UNFOLD.
>> I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN REALLY
INTERESTED IN WATCHING WHAT'S
GOING ON IN CALIFORNIA, IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER STATE THAT DID
NOT MEET THE DEADLINE, JUST LIKE
ARIZONA.
AND THERE YOU HAVE A SITUATION
WHERE THE SALT AND SEA, WHICH IS
THIS LARGE KIND OF ACCIDENTAL
LAKE THAT'S BEEN DRYING UP FOR A
REALLY LONG TIME AND IT'S
CAUSING TONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH
PROBLEMS.
AND THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND A
LARGE WATER DISTRICT THERE HAS
BEEN WORKING TOWARDS GETTING
FUNDING FOR.
AND THEY'RE SEEING THEY HAVE A
LOT OF POWER WITHIN THESE
NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE DROUGHT
CONTINGENCY PLAN AND THEY'RE
SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO SIGN
ONTO THERE UNTIL WE HAVE A FINAL
SOLUTION.
>> WHEN YOU SAY EVERYONE, WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT AGRICULTURE.
ARE WE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THINGS
LIKE GOLF COURSES AND SWIMMING
POOLS?
>> SOMEWHAT.
BUT REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
NUMBERS A LOT OF IT IS
AGRICULTURE.
WITHIN THE ENTIRE COLORADO RIVER
BASIN AGRICULTURE USES ABOUT 80%
OF THE WATER.
AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR PLACES
TO CUT BACK, A LOT OF TIMES AG
IS THE FIRST PLACE THAT YOU
LOOK, SIMPLY FOR THE FACT THAT
THEY HAVE THE RIGHTS TO THE VAST
MAJORITY OF THE WATER.
THAT SAID, THERE ARE URBAN
CONSERVATION PROGRAMS THAT ARE
BEING TALKED ABOUT, NOT JUST IN
PHOENIX, BUT IN ALL SORTS OF
LARGE METROPOLITAN AREAS WITHIN
THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN.
BUT THERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
JUST A SMALLER AMOUNT OF WATER.
SO IF THE WHOLE IDEA BEHIND THE
DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN IS WE
NEED TO CUT BACK WATER USE, A
LOT OF TIMES THE CONVERSATION
IMMEDIATELY PIVOTS TOWARDS
AGRICULTURE, JUST BECAUSE THEY
HAVE THE MOST WATER.
>> OKAY, AGRICULTURE USES THE
MOST WATER.
AGRICULTURE FEEDS US?
CORRECT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> OKAY.
SO WHAT DOES THAT THEN DO FOR
OUR FOOD SUPPLY?
>> I MEAN, YOU'RE LOOKING AT
AREAS THAT IN CENTRAL ARIZONA
YOU HAVE PENAL COUNTY AND THAT'S
AN AREA WHERE YOU'RE GROWING A
LOT OF ANIMAL FEED, YOU'RE
LOOKING AT ALFALFA HAY THAT GOES
TOWARDS FEEDING DAIRY COWS OR
BEEF CATTLE.
SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT
YOU'VE GOT THE -- THAT ISN'T
NECESSARILY FEEDING PEOPLE, IT'S
FEEDING ANIMALS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU'VE GOT
AGRICULTURE THAT DOES FEED
PEOPLE.
YOU LOOK AT THE IMPERIAL VALLEY
OF CALIFORNIA AND YOU'VE GOT
TONS OF WINTER VEGETABLES GROWN
THERE.
THE VAST -- IF YOU'RE EATING A
SALAD IN DECEMBER, IT'S MOST
LIKELY BEING WATERED BY COLORADO
RIVER WATER.
AND SO YOU CAN'T COMPLETELY
ELIMINATE AGRICULTURE FROM THE
COLORADO RIVER BASIN BECAUSE OUR
DIETS WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE, OR
GLOBAL MARKETS FOR PRODUCE WOULD
HAVE TO CHANGE.
>> EVEN IF THIS PLAN REACHES
SOME SORT OF DEAL IN THE VERY
NEAR FUTURE IT ESSENTIALLY ONLY
BUYS US TIME UNTIL 2026, IN
WHICH CASE DO WE HAVE ANOTHER
ROUND OF CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS
ONE?
>> YES.
AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE EVEN
MORE DIFFICULT.
SO THIS IS AN UPDATE TO A SET OF
GUIDELINES THAT WERE PASSED IN
2007.
AND THE DISCUSSIONS TO GET THOSE
2007 GUIDELINES WERE INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT.
AND THESE NEXT -- THIS NEXT
ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS IS GOING
TO BE EVEN HARDER BECAUSE THERE
ARE GOING TO BE THORNY ISSUES
THAT GET BROUGHT UP WHERE YOU
HAVE THE TWO BASINS WITHIN THE
COLORADO RIVER, THE UPPER BASIN
AND THE LOWER BASIN, TRYING TO
FIND ANSWERS TO REALLY LONG-TERM
PROBLEMS THAT THERE AREN'T EASY
ANSWERS AND A LOT OF TIMES THERE
ARE CONFLICTING ANSWERS BETWEEN
WHAT SOME STATES WANT AND WHAT
OTHER STATES WANT.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE VERY,
VERY DIFFICULT.
AND THOSE ARE GOING TO START UP
PRETTY MUCH AS SOON AS THE
DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN IS
FINISHED.