This is a state and a federal issue. Locally, there are things individuals can do and things the State government can do to intelligently manage this vital resource. It’s conceivable in the future that water will become our most limiting factor to growth.

The federal government gets involved when water involves multiple states and in the appropriation of financial support for water infrastructure.

One of the challenges we face today is the result of the over-appropriation of Colorado River water to all users. When the early compact was ratified, to appease all stakeholders, the agreement allocated more water than existed. At the time it wasn’t critical, because the river contained more water than was needed, but as demand has increased, and the amount of water decreased, over-allocation has become problematic, especially to downstream consumers.

To solve this problem requires cooperation, respect for the needs of others, and compromise.