PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           CONTACT: Sally Stewart Lee 

Apr. 25, 2019                                                                                        PHONE: 602.771.8530

Governor’s Water Augmentation, Innovation, and Conservation Council Update

Arizona will continue water partnerships after DCP legislation

PHOENIX – In January, following the signing of the historic Drought Contingency Plan for Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey ordered the creation of a new council with a long-term focus on water augmentation, innovation and conservation. The Governor’s Water Augmentation, Innovation and Conservation Council (Council) was created by an Executive Order signed Jan. 31, 2019.

“We aren’t going to wait 40 years to begin the process for Arizona’s next big step to secure our water future,” said Governor Ducey. “We’re going to continue building upon the great work we have done this year so Arizona remains a leader in water management and conservation.”

The Council expands and replaces the original Governor’s Water Augmentation Council (GWAC), formed as part of the Governor’s Water Initiative in 2015. The newly expanded council will investigate water innovation and conservation strategies in addition to water augmentation. The Council will have four committees focused on desalination, finances, long-term water augmentation and recycled water.

The Council held its first meeting on Friday, March 8 at the offices of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). The Council will meet quarterly with the next meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. June 13. All Council meetings are open to the public.

The members serving on the Council are:
Basilo Aja, Arizona Cattle Feeders Association;
Lisa Atkins, Arizona State Land Department;
David Brown, Brown and Brown Law Offices;
Thomas Buschatzke (Chair), ADWR;
Misael Cabera, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality;
Chris Camacho, Greater Phoenix Economic Council ;
Ted Cooke, Central Arizona Water Conservation District;
Maria Dadgar, Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona;
Ronald Doba, Northern Arizona Municipal Water Users Association;
Sandra Fabritz, Freeport Minerals Co.;
Kathleen Ferris, attorney;

Grady Gammage, Gammage & Burnham;
William Garfield, Arizona Water Company;
Patrick Graham, the Nature Conservancy;
Glenn Hamer, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
Spencer Kamps, Home Builders Association of Central Arizona;
Jamie Kelley, Mohave County Water Authority;
John Kmiec, Southern Arizona Water Users Association;
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Gila River Indian Community;
Cheryl Lombard, Valley Partnership;
Edward P. Maxwell, Southern Arizona Leadership Council;
Stephen Q. Miller, Pinal County;
Hunter Moore, Gov. Doug Ducey Natural Resources Policy Advisor;
Wade Noble, Noble Law;
Virginia O’Connell, Arizona Water Banking Authority;
Chairman Dennis Patch, Colorado River Indian Tribes;
Sarah Porter, Kyl Center;
Philip Richards, Arizona Public Service;
Dave Roberts, Salt River Project;
Kevin Rogers, Arizona Cotton Growers Association;
Stefanie Smallhouse, Arizona Farm Bureau;
Mark Smith, Yuma Irrigation District;
Craig Sullivan, County Supervisors Association of Arizona;
Warren Tenney, Arizona Municipal Water Users Association;
Timothy Thomure, City of Tucson Water Department;
Philip Townsend, Sunland Chemical Co.;
Christopher Udall, Agribusiness & Water Council;
Jay Whetten, Arizona Cattlemen’s Association;
Rep. Rusty Bowers, Speaker of the House;
Sen. Sine Kerr designee for Sen. Karen Fann, President of the Senate;
Rep. Charlene Fernandez, House Minority Leader; and
Sen. Lisa Otondo, designee for Sen. David Bradley, Senate Minority Leader.
This new Executive Order (2019-02) supersedes and rescinds Executive Order 2015-13 which formed the original GWAC.

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