In the Colorado River Basin opinions and editorials run the gamut from advocating stakeholder involvement in policy development to looking at the declining level of Lake Mead in context, while elsewhere in the west, recommendations for legislative action in Texas take center stage.
Colorado River Basin
Stakeholder involvement critical in dealing with NM drought
In light of the introduction of the New Mexico Drought Relief Act in the U.S. Senate, Sam Fernald, Professor and Director of New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, opines on the necessity of getting all stakeholders involved in policy formulation.
In Our View: Give water use laws some teeth
The editorial board of The Spectrum commends Utah’s Washington County Water Conservancy District for establishing a policy to promote conservation, but argues that the cities and towns that are responsible for establishing and enforcing water use policies need to take strong measures and set real consequences for water waste.
Focus on big picture for water security
Kathleen Ferris, Executive Director of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, responds to a spate of articles sounding the alarm because of Lake Mead’s declining water levels with a level-headed direction to “look at the big picture”—how this actually affects Arizona’s water supply.
Elsewhere in the West
Ensuring sufficient water supplies in Texas
Andrew Sansom, executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, argues that a culture of land stewardship lost as the agricultural and rural lands are urbanized. As a result the state must do more to preserve lands, culture and watersheds.
TEXAS VIEW: Planning for desalination now will help meet our future needs
The editorial board of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal argues that even though desalination in not essential right now the legislature is doing the right thing by considering the issue now.
Written by Marta Weismann