Arizona Senate President Proposes Desalination in Colorado River Negotiations

Warren Petersen, the president of the Arizona Senate, has proposed desalination projects in the ongoing discussions among the seven basin states over the distribution of water in the Colorado River.

As part of the multi-state negotiations to establish future water usage rights, Petersen said he had spoken with officials from the Department of the Interior about federal infrastructure help.

The Senate President described a possible arrangement in which Arizona would receive more water allocations from the Colorado River in exchange for federal support for a desalination facility in California.

"Let's say there's some dollars provided for infrastructure for them, and then they take off less from the Colorado, and then there's a larger water allocation," Petersen explained.

Regarding talks with the Trump administration, Petersen said in a newsletter published Monday that Arizona's federal relationship "has never been stronger."

Multiple Infrastructure Options

Petersen has argued for lining Arizona's canals in addition to desalination in order to minimize water loss from evaporation and ground absorption.

Tom Buschatzke, the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, stated that he is co-leading a workgroup with Mexico on the topic of desalination but is not currently involved in talks with California.

"I have advocated to both the past and current administration that infrastructure projects are necessary to deliver a collaborative post 2026 outcome among the seven states but also with building support with the stakeholders in the state of Arizona," Buschatzke said.

Past Legislative Action

When the Legislature approved $1 billion for water augmentation projects in 2022, under the administration of former Governor Doug Ducey, desalination received a lot of attention. Hobbs, however, cut back on the majority of that money between 2023 and 2024.

The Colorado River negotiations are set to continue as the seven basin states work toward a new agreement to replace current water-sharing arrangements that expire in 2026. Arizona's water allocation decisions will have long-term implications for the state's growth and agricultural sectors, which rely heavily on Colorado River water.