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By Tom Howarth
Science Reporter (Nature)
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Arizona is taking steps to secure its water future as the prolonged megadrought gripping the Colorado River continues to deplete its reservoirs, including Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
This week, the state's Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) advanced plans to import billions of gallons of water from outside its borders, a move necessitated by Lake Mead's precarious levels and unresolved disputes among the seven states relying on the Colorado River.
At a conference on Tuesday, WIFA officials outlined a phased process inviting companies to propose viable solutions for bringing external water supplies into the state.
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"Tuesday's Pre-Offer Conference was intended to help potential proposers better understand our solicitation," Chelsea McGuire, assistant director, external affairs, at WIFA, told Newsweek.
"It was an opportunity to foster a dialogue between WIFA and interested parties to help them better prepare their proposals."
With Lake Mead currently at 33 percent capacity—1,061 feet above sea level—and Lake Powell similarly depleted, the reality of a diminished Colorado River system has forced Arizona to consider alternative water sources.
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The stakes are high. WIFA has approximately $430 million earmarked for long-term water augmentation projects, with 75 percent legally allocated for out-of-state sources.
In November, WIFA began soliciting proposals for importing over 100 billion gallons of water annually.
"WIFA's augmentation mission is a quintessential example of how Arizona is consistently and effectively working toward a secure, resilient and sustainable water future," WIFA board Chairman Jonathan Lines said in a statement at the time.
"Arizona has long been serious about water. Similarly, WIFA takes seriously its mission to find new water resources so that our state can continue to grow and thrive."
By next month, it plans to begin reviewing qualifications from interested entities, aiming to complete this initial phase by June 2024.
The entire process, spanning project selection, design and implementation, could take anywhere from five to 15 years, McGuire told Axios Phoenix.
The agency is looking for creative and sustainable ideas after a previous plan to desalinate ocean water in the Gulf of California was abandoned due to its $5.5 billion cost and environmental concerns.
"Water importation is necessary to empower Arizona to continue to grow and thrive, across all sectors and in all parts of the state, in the ways that Arizonans desire," McGuire said.
"Our water outlook today—whether we can meet our existing needs—is good, thanks to that culture of forward planning. But there are multiple studies from entities like the Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation that indicate a significant increase in demand over a 100-year timeframe."
WIFA's mission has not been without setbacks. Earlier this year, its budget was slashed by nearly $500 million, prompting the agency to issue a stern warning about the impact of the cuts.
"These cuts could not come at a worse time," WIFA said in the statement. "The current trend of draining funds from our long-term water investments to solve short-term problems calls into question WIFA's possibility of success, no matter how strong our process."
Despite this, McGuire said WIFA is "confident" that the current balance in the fund for the importation project is sufficient.
As negotiations over the Colorado River's water allocation remain deadlocked, Arizona is not alone in searching for alternate water sources.
Utah officials have floated the idea of building a desalination plant in California in exchange for a greater share of river water, according to recent reports by Fox 13 Salt Lake City.
Nevada is also investing in water reuse projects in California that could benefit the state upstream on the Colorado River.
California itself has implemented water-saving measures that may have helped raise Lake Mead's levels by as much as 16 feet.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about Lake Mead? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Update 12/16/24, 4:24 a.m. ET: The article was updated with comments from Chelsea McGuire.
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