Our Arizona water issues are not one size fits all. They are complex and distinct from region to region, county to county, in our state.

When Arizona water, as a topic comes up, often we default to the Colorado River and the ongoing depletion of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Arizona Farm Bureau President Stefanie Smallhouse points out the Colorado River water issue is only one aspect of our difficult water situation in our desert state. She also suggests we need to quit making a target of agriculture. In a recent radio interview (below), she explains why.

President Smallhouse’s most revealing suggestion is that we begin to think of our water availability, or “allotments” like a water budget, something farmers and ranchers have been doing for some time.

To understand what she means, you might listen to her interview on Arizona agriculture water during one of KTAR’s Rosie on the House shows, below.