Feds Bet on Paying for Water Conservation to Protect the Colorado River

Arizona’s future was at a critical juncture at the beginning of 2023.

Massive cuts to the state’s Colorado River water supply were being imposed. Deadlines loomed from the federal government for the seven states that rely on Colorado River water to come up with a solution for how to cut use even further as the nation’s two largest reservoirs recorded among their lowest levels ever after decades of drought caused by overconsumption and climate change.

All the while, Arizona’s growth—both in population and in business—continued to boom, prompting questions over the long-term sustainability of the state’s economy.