From the Editor: Progress on state’s water issues

Nobody’s certain who said that, but it’s been a fact ever since they invented booze.
But progress last week means that when the state Legislature convenes Jan. 14, there could be a whole lot more agreeing than fighting.
When’s the last time you heard that kind of cooperation out of Phoenix?
That’s makes passage of a Drought Contingency Plan important this session.
It brought stakeholders together and came to an agreement on how shortages would be handled; that plan goes to the Legislature in January.
There’s no doubt a shortage is coming, the question is how to manage it, and do so fairly for Nevada, Arizona and California, and interests such as agriculture, tribes and developers.
Ducey backs a plan that protects water levels in Lake Mead (lake levels trigger shortage declarations).
He also wants us to look at “a drier future” through conservation.
In February, Ducey released a policy paper on “Arizona’s water future,” which you can access online.
It didn’t get much traction in the Legislature, but now that some big questions have been addressed, lawmakers are eager to act.

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