The Southwest’s Increasingly Stressed Water Resources. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Jacqueline Vaughn, a retired Northern Arizona University Political Science professor and community activist. She just published a reference book entitled Water In The West.
Vaughn begins by explaining details about the Colorado River Compact. She describes as “an old, old agreement among the seven states that draw water off of the Colorado.” She continues, “Unfortunately, they were willing to divide up the Colorado with more water than there actually is in the Colorado. And subsequently, the water levels have even drawn down more. And so, what’s happening is the agreement itself will expire at the end of 2026.”
Vaughn continues, “This document is so essential to understanding who’s going to get water. Who’s going to get what share? It’s divided up by state. And, what’s new this time that didn’t happen when the Compact was originally signed is that tribal entities will have a seat at the table.” She adds that’s critical, especially for some of the communities in southern Arizona and the Four Corners region. “This is going to be one of the major water stories of, not only the decade, but probably the next 50 years.”
Of course, the Compact is just the beginning as the Southwest, including Arizona, is facing numerous critical water issues, not the least of which is this year’s low snowpack.