OPINION — Arizona’s response to the latest Colorado River plan has focused heavily on economic damage. Officials warn that deeper cuts could hurt agriculture, mining, semiconductor manufacturing, housing and future growth.
That concern is understandable, but it avoids the central issue. Arizona is still trying to protect every major demand on a river that no longer produces enough water to support them all.
The Colorado River is delivering less water than the system was built to use. Bureau of Reclamation data show that natural flow at Lees Ferry averaged about 14.6 million acre-feet annually from 1906 through 2024, but only about 12.4 million acre-feet during the 2000 through 2024 drought period.
