Yeah -- as a state, we have big problems – state government is in the red, the aftershocks of the housing crash are still reverberating throughout the economy, and our place as a job creating engine has stalled.  But, fixes to these problems won’t mean much if we can’t solve our long-term water issues.

I guess the good fortune produced by a snowy winter with the prospect of filled reservoirs in the spring has made us complacent.  Yet, Arizona remains in the grip of long-term drought, which we cannot ignore.  Unless we have enough water to go around today and tomorrow, we can forget about future growth and prosperity. 

In the quest to cut state spending, the Arizona Department of Water Resources faces potential decimation of critical programs to manage water resources. Let’s hope our policymakers don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater – we have so very little of either to spare.