Patrick Adams serves as the senior adviser for water policy to Gov. Katie Hobbs, where he helps implement her plans for Arizona’s water future. In an interview with the Arizona Capitol Times, Adams discussed his passion for water policy and how he keeps a positive outlook as the state faces myriad water challenges.

The questions and answers have been lightly edited for style and clarity.

What got you interested in water and water policy?

I’m from a small rural community in Idaho, Rupert. So from a farming community, both sides of my family (were) farming, and I grew up camping, hiking, fishing, always interested in the outdoors and the environment. I went to school at Utah State University in Logan where I was studying environmental science and I took a hydrology class and was super hooked. I thought it was super interesting, because it’s just such an important issue in the West. So after that, I just signed up to do any water stuff I could. I followed my professor to Minnesota, where we were canoeing on the Minnesota River, collecting data on that. In addition to my environmental science degree, I was enrolled in the business school to pursue an economics degree. Economics is all about allocating scarce resources, and water policy in the West is all about (allocating) a scarce and highly valuable resource. So it was a super perfect fit. Then after school, I moved to Colorado and worked for a gold mining company in their environmental section. From there, moved to Arizona, got a job at the (Arizona) Department of Environmental Quality in their groundwater section. After that, I had the opportunity to pursue what I’d always wanted to do, which was water resources and water quantity policy, with the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. That’s where I got started working on legislative issues, and from there, had the opportunity to come up and join Governor Hobbs’ team in 2023. The minute I learned about water, I wanted to work in it. I’ve been pretty lucky to have that opportunity and get to do it professionally. 

What about water in particular keeps you so interested in the field?

One, I love Arizona. We have amazing cities and communities and things to do here in Arizona. We have an amazing natural environment. We have amazing rural parts of the state. So, whether it’s the changing economy here, the high-tech industries that are coming in, the big urban areas, or the small rural towns and farming communities, or the mountains and environmental concerns, all of it requires water. All the things we love require a sustainable and sustained water resource. So to get to work on that and make sure that these things continue and we have a long-term vision for the future, that’s what water policy is all about. We live in the desert, and we’re dealing with climate change and the shrinking Colorado River. We’re dealing with finite groundwater supplies. We’re dealing with how we share water and move water around. There’s like a billion people that live in deserts in the world, and so we’re addressing these issues and putting forth really creative solutions, and the whole world is watching. There’s lessons to be learned in the things we do today, for how do you manage water so you can have a flourishing society in the desert? And this is pretty lofty, but that’s like the meat and potatoes work that we do. So it’s really exciting to work on that every day and have an impact on that.

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

I really like the chance to go connect with people on water policy and to put solutions out there that are helping communities. I think there’s a lot of anxiety about water, and people have questions about, are we running out? What are we going to do? What’s the plan? And we have all this information, so bringing that to people, I think, is a really fulfilling thing to do. In particular in rural Arizona, we do have some real serious challenges with water policy and groundwater depletion. And when I started in water here, there was a sense that they were out of luck. Like solutions hadn’t been coming for many decades. Rural Arizona was just stuck. They had been hitting a brick wall at the Legislature for years and years, and now working for Governor Hobbs, she’s made it a priority to tackle rural groundwater issues. So when we go out to these communities and we share this information, and we say, “Hey, we’re gonna work with you to put in place water protections,” it’s a really amazing thing to connect with these people, because these are normal people who have been advocating for themselves and their communities for years and have gotten nowhere. 

What is the biggest challenge in your role?

I think it is really challenging to get things across the finish line on policy issues that are as complex as water, because for every water policy issue, you are running a gauntlet of stakeholders that is just massive. Every stakeholder group has an interest in water policy, and they don’t align. And I’m dealing with a scarce resource, so I’m not handing more out to people. It’s (about) how do we adapt to manage a resource that is strained and it’s really tough, I think, to navigate all those different interests and thread the needle and find the path through. So that can be challenging, and that’s been an eye opener for me, but we’ve done it.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in this job so far?

I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of listening to folks and understanding different stakeholder perspectives on these water issues, because at the end of the day, people want the same thing. We want a secure, reliable, sustainable water supply, and we just have to navigate the different perspectives to get to that end goal. There’s a lot of short-term interests, and so one of the things we try to do, and I try to do, is take a really long-term vision on this stuff, because this is about making sure that we have water, not just for the next few years, but for 100 years. That’s a few generations. It goes by quick. And so to have a flourishing desert society and economy, we have to really take the long-term vision. And so listening to folks, connecting on a shared desire to have a long-term future that has water security, I think is something that I’ve learned is really important in doing this.

What do you wish more people knew about when it comes to water in Arizona?

Well, I’ll just say that the question people always ask is, “Are we running out of water?” And what I want people to know is the answer is no, and we’re fortunate that in our state there’s been a lot of effort and work to protect and manage our water supplies. The history of that, I think, is a very exciting and an important part of living in Arizona. So I want people to know that we have this history of really strong water management, but things are changing. The climate’s changing. Our economy is changing. Time is passing, and we can’t just rest on those laurels. We have to change with that and we have to change our water management, our water policies. So, communicating that nuance to people that we have water security in Arizona, but we have to act now to make sure we continue to have it long into the future, is the message I am always trying to share with people.

How do you maintain a positive outlook on these issues?

I will say that when I wake up, I do have to strap on my armor to drive into the office because I’m often telling people, “No,” or “Well, we need to find a way to do more with less.” And that’s tough. But I think the work is really hard because it’s so important. So I always try to remind myself that the conflict and the uphill battles are because the policy and the water future is so important and so meaningful. Also, I just don’t know what else I would do. Water is my passion. I cannot see myself doing anything else. And then outside of work, I really try to go disconnect and go camping and hiking and be outdoors, play tennis, whatever I can do to have some reprieve in my personal time.

What do you read to stay informed on water?

One of the best parts about working in water policy is you’re actually like a historian. There is such a history behind every policy that we have today. I just love reading the old primary sources, like the old reports and studies and legislative history and the notes from the negotiators of the Colorado River Compact, like you get these old documents that were typed up. I mean, it is all about history, and you have to understand the history to know where we’re going today. So for me, a lot of my water reading is historical documentation. I’ve got a whole bookshelf of water books in my house and I’m always on the hunt at antique stores, thrift stores for old water books and reports and maps. It’s just so fascinating, because the water history is the history of Arizona and why things are the way they are today.

What is it like being part of a new generation in water policy?

First of all, I’m a huge student of history. So I’m just a huge Arizona water history buff, and I think you have to understand how we got to where we are. But the way we address water has changed. In the past, it was, we can engineer our way out of this, we can engineer our way out of all of our water challenges. And that’s changed a little bit. We need innovation, not only in water infrastructure and water technology, but also in water policy. Can we do things differently? That’s a fresh approach that I hope to bring to the table as a newer generation of water manager.