Let’s get real
A consortium of preeminent western water leaders, we bring new approaches and allies to challenging Western water issues. Learn more
Friends -
In these perilous times, those of us who live west of the 100th meridian are fortunate to have some really smart water leaders.
One of those leaders is Kathryn Sorensen, the former Director of Phoenix Water, now at Arizona State University. At last month's Getches-Wilkinson conference, Kathryn summarized three essential ingredients for any hope we have for sustainably managing the Colorado Basin. While her comments focused on the Colorado, the same list could be applied to every river basin in the American West.
As you'll see from her comments, "getting real" isn't about assessing Reclamation’s latest projections or deciphering Brad Udall's scary graphs. Instead, she gives us some context and “rules of the road” for how we all can live in the arid West in the time of accelerating climate change.
You can read some of Confluence West's stories about projects and clients who are "getting real." Your additions to the "Let's get real" list?
If you’re grappling with these challenges and want solutions, please be in touch.
For the West,
Kimery
P.S. If you weren't at last month's Getches Wilkinson conference Equity in the Colorado River Basin: How to Sustainably Manage a Shrinking Resource, you missed a good one. The conference recording is now on line.
"We all need to get off our high horses. Everyone. Me, you, everyone in the [Colorado] Basin. Thinking that your water use is justified, and no one else's is, is not helpful."
- Kathryn Sorensen
At last month's Getches-Wilkinson Center, John Fleck (aka Colorado River Basin Sage) moderated a panel with the provocative title "Time to Get Real."
John asked each of the five highly experienced, knowledgeable panelists: What does getting real in the Colorado River Basin mean? Any number of astute observations were made by the other four panelists - for many of us Kathryn's opening comments really struck home.
Kathryn Sorensen
I've got three things for "getting real" -
First, with humility and respect, it means that we all need to get off our high horses. Everyone. Me, you, everyone in the [Colorado] Basin. Thinking that your water use is justified, and no one else's is, is not helpful. Thinking that you know how water should be allocated and everyone else has it wrong, is not helpful. And it's going to push us into camps at a time when we need to focus on collaboration.
Second, it means that it is not helpful to continue to talk about closing the gate. There is a long history of people moving out here to the West and then wanting to turn around and close the gate. Unless you are a Native American and your family has been here since time immemorial, you do not have the moral high ground to close the gate. There's something like 8 billion people on the planet. Our cities are going to continue to grow.
Our energy is better focused on making sure all families that live in this Basin, whether they have lived here since time immemorial or moved here yesterday, have equitable access to safe, clean drinking water and effective sewer service
Third, it means that as the Basin is aridifying, the Lower Basin is using too much water, and the system is draining. We need to cut water use in the Lower Basin very significantly. Like Senator Sinema, I'm not going to give you a number. Everyone knows we Arizonans are a difficult bunch. If you are not convinced of this, I am happy to convince you further. But on a long-term, sustained basis, the Lower Basin needs to cut by more than 500,000 acre-feet per year, and I don't see how, politically, we can cut 3 million. That being said, if we get another year or two of terrible runoff, we may not have a choice.
But have some faith. Save a little optimism. Solving for water scarcity is really hard, and the problems we face are enormous. I don't want to minimize those. But still, solving for water scarcity is technologically easier and less expensive than solving for flooding and seawater intrusion. So we got that going for us.
Kathryn Sorensen served for many years as Director of Phoenix Water Services as well as Director of the City of Mesa Water Resources Department. In these roles, she was responsible for delivering safe, clean, reliable water for millions of Arizonans and significantly advanced the sustainable management of water resources in Arizona and the Colorado River basin. She earned a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan. In her position at Arizona State University, she oversees the research efforts of the Kyl Center for Water Policy, serves as a Professor of Practice at the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, and contributes to the Global Futures Laboratory. Kathryn is a Confluence West Advisor.