Month: January 2019

Arizona Governor puts saving Lake Mead onto center stage on social media platforms

On By azwater

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is giving over much of his social media platform to  getting a Drought Contingency Plan completed in Arizona.

governor ducey facebook page lake mead 1.23.2019

The art on the Governor’s Twitter feed home page is one of those startling “bathtub ring” photos of Lake Mead, which depict the reservoir’s dramatic decline in recent years.

His official Facebook page includes the same image.

The Governor’s Office has emblazoned the Lake Mead photo with a quote from former Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, who observed recently that “this is the moment” to get an Arizona DCP agreement through the State Legislature.

governor ducey twitter feed 1.23.2019

Ducey has asked lawmakers to act quickly to approve proposed legislation that would give the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources authority to enter into a drought plan with the other Colorado River states, as well as the federal government.

In December, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, Brenda Burman, set a January 31 deadline for states to complete work on their Drought Contingency plans. The Bureau, a division of the Interior Department, is overall manager of the river system.

In addition, the Governor’s Office has published  video on Twitter of a briefing of Ducey’s proposed budget, which includes funding for the DCP. The briefing, held today in Tucson, includes the graphic copied below, which demonstrates why the drought plan is so vital. Discussion of the DCP funding begins after the 59-minute mark.

As depicted in the “Securing Arizona’s Water Future” graphic below, Lake Mead is in jeopardy of falling into a high-risk zone within five years if a system-wide DCP is not in effect. Implementing the DCP, on the other hand, flattens out the curve and gives the Colorado River states time to enact additional drought-fighting measures.

securing arizona water future graphic 1.23.2019

 

Press Release: Enormous water conservation symbol on display through January

On By azwater

Color Logo Transparent- For Web

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       CONTACT: Sally Stewart Lee 

Jan. 16, 2019                                                                                        PHONE: 602.771.8530

Enormous water conservation symbol on display through January

PHOENIX – Do you know how much water you use daily? You may be surprised at the number. The symbol of the long-running water-conservation campaign — “Water – Use It Wisely” – clearly demonstrates that number and will be on display in the Executive Tower through January. (Image attached.)1

The symbol, a tower of one-gallon jugs, is 16 feet tall and shows that on average an Arizona resident uses 120 gallons of water a day. The campaign is a partnership of 20 local municipalities and organizations working to bolster water conservation efforts in Arizona communities. The Arizona Department of Water Resources is a Steering Committee partner of this regional campaign.

See also:

For more information regarding this matter, please contact Public Information Officer Sally Stewart Lee at sslee@azwater.gov or (602) 771-8530.

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Enormous Symbol Of Water Conservation Campaign On Display In The Executive Tower Lobby

On By azwater

The imposing “Water – Use It Wisely” tower – a 16-foot tall pyramid of one-gallon water jugs – is now on display in the Executive Tower lobby.

The display reflects Governor Ducey’s expressed commitment to water issues during the current legislative session. Those include protecting the Colorado River system, as well as emphasizing the theme of the long-running Water – Use It Wisely campaign, which is to bolster water conservation efforts in Arizona communities.

Constructed from 120 water jugs, the tower represents a physical depiction of the amount of water – 120 gallons – that the average person in Arizona consumes daily.

Typically, that use includes seven gallons consumed either by drinking or cooking, 14 gallons used by shower or bath, 15 gallons by toilets, 18 gallons used up daily by household cleaning such as washing machines or dishwashers, and 66 gallons used daily for outdoor uses such as watering lawns and plants.

The tower will be on display at the Executive Tower at 1700 W. Washington St. through the month of January.

The Water – Use It Wisely campaign is a two-decade partnership among Arizona communities and organizations dedicated to providing Arizonans with meaningful tools for efficiently limiting water waste.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources is a Regional Campaign Steering Committee partner of the campaign.

For further information about the Tower, see:

ADWR Public Information Officer Sally Stewart Lee

sslee@azwater.gov or (602) 771-8530

 

At the Inauguration: Governor Ducey’s comments on securing Arizona’s water future

On By azwater

inauguration day 2019

In delivering his second Inaugural Address, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey told the audience at the State Capitol that the time has come to “press forward on some of the biggest challenges facing us.”

“Because none of us came here to do little things — we came here to do the things that matter, big things — and we can do them together.”

Among those big things the Governor identified was securing the State’s water future. Specifically, Governor Ducey called on lawmakers and stakeholders to take action on protecting the State’s Colorado River water supplies.

“We cannot kick the can any further,” he said.

Governor Ducey’s comments on Arizona water security, in full:

Our duty is to leave this state in far better shape than we found it — and we are well on our way.

These are the tasks before us. And if there’s any question of how Arizonans expect us to solve these problems, I’d say, look around. Taking the oath with me today are Republicans and Democrats – all hired by the same electorate.

When conversations stall, as they sometimes do during difficult discussions, we let history be our guide and the hand that lifts us back up.

Nearly four decades ago, in 1980, Arizona’s accelerated water consumption forced a sobering ultimatum from the federal government: reform or suffer severe water cutbacks.

The can could not be kicked any further.

But Arizona’s history is not one of missed opportunities or efforts that came up short. Rather we find, that in the darkest times, Arizona’s pioneering spirit shines the brightest.

Democrats and Republicans rose above party labels. They brought skeptical and reluctant stakeholders to the table. And they acted – and they did it with good faith and honest intentions.

For the people in this crowd and many across our state, I don’t have to spell out the parallel circumstances in which we find ourselves today.

It’s simple. Arizona and our neighboring states draw more water from the Colorado River than mother nature puts back. And with a critical shortfall imminent, we cannot kick the can any further.

It’s going to mean rising above self-interest, and doing the right thing. It means taking the action our past and future generations demand.