Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs joined governors from Hawaii, Montana, Idaho and Utah to talk about water, energy, agriculture and healthcare at Western Governor’s Association’s winter meeting in the Phoenix area on Thursday, Nov. 20.
The conference brought state leaders together less than two weeks after the seven basin states who rely on Colorado River water failed to come to an agreement on new management guidelines.
Despite the standstill, Governor of Utah Spencer Cox alluded to the bipartisan and collaborative nature of the biannual meetings.
“My hope is that over the next few days and in weeks that the rest of the country can see that same spirit in action and be reminded that working together actually still works,” Cox said.
Leaders tip-toe around Colorado River cuts
During a press conference, Hobbs said it was up to governors to build future energy systems, to protect natural resources and put forward thoughtful policy.
“...We may come from different states, but we're bound by the same Western spirit, resilience, pragmatism and determination to leave things better than we found them today,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs has maintained that the Upper Basin states have not offered a fair share of their usage of Colorado River water.
The Upper Basin is made up of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming; The Lower Basin is made up of Arizona, California and Nevada.
Per the 1922 Colorado River Compact, each basin is allocated 7.5 million acre-feet of water annually; however the Lower Basin is granted an additional 1 maf per year to cover diversions from the Gila River and its tributaries in Arizona, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
Decades of drought exacerbated by warming temperatures have reduced flows in the Upper basin by 20% according to the Bureau of Reclamation, which has prompted a series of short-term agreements to conserve water through 2026, when current guidelines expire.
About 40 million people throughout seven states and 30 tribes rely on Colorado River water; about 70% of it is used for agriculture.
At the press conference, Cox did not elaborate on why Utah has not conceded to more cuts.
“In Utah, where we don’t drink much, we have a saying that whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting and we know that the Colorado River is a precious resource,” Cox said.
He echoed his position that the agreement should be worked out among the states.
“What matters is I don’t think any of us really want the federal government to make the ultimate decision.”
The seven basin states missed their Nov. 11 deadline set by the federal government to provide a framework for new operating guidelines of the Colorado River.
NPR reported that the Trump Administration had indicated more of an involvement if the states hadn’t made progress by the previously set deadline.
In a rare moment of bipartisanship, Hobbs and leaders from both Republican and Democratic parties of the Arizona state legislature sent a joint letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum the same day as the deadline, advocating for the federal government to address the insufficient conservation committments made by the Upper Basin states.
During past negotiations, officials from the Upper Basin states have resisted mandatory cuts, citing they generally use less than their allocated amounts. Cox has acknowledged the water shortage, but hasn’t budged on accepting cuts.
"I'm sure I would have the exact same views as Governor Hobbs if I was a Lower Basin state,'' Cox said during the press conference. "...And I'm sure she would have the exact same views that I have if she was in an Upper Basin state.''
While Cox has pushed for resolving a new agreement without federal intervention–despite the missed federal deadline–Hobbs continued campaigning in favor of it.
During a panel discussion, Hobbs asked Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum what his department could do to support Colorado River water negotiations:
“We’re seeing water supply stretch thin across the West,” Hobbs said. “What is your perspective on how we find a path forward as Western states in dealing with water scarcity?”
Burgum said that governors will have to innovate and collaborate.
“...increase productivity of irrigation, but decrease water use. Some of those decreases in agriculture water use would take care of the next five years of data centers,” he said.
During his keynote speech, Burgum emphasized his department’s push toward energy dominance and the AI arms race against China.
“Energy is the foundation of both our economy and it’s also the foundation of our national security,” he said.
After speaking, Burgum declined to take questions from reporters.
Burgum and the Interior have faced scrutiny for their push to reduce environmental protections in order to prioritize energy development.
Earlier this year, Burgum issued a Secretarial Order that triggered an internal review of agency actions related to oil, gas and mining regulations on public lands, a move that advocates warn could jeopardize national monuments such as Ironwood Forest National Monument and the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.
The department also proposed to rescind the Biden-era Public Lands Rule that put conservation at the forefront of land management.
