Arizona is at a crossroads. Nearly 40% of Arizona’s annual water uses are supplied by the Colorado River. However, the outlook for Colorado River water availability – and Arizona’s junior allocation, in particular – is deeply concerning. 

Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Wednesday to provide $1.2 billion to fund grandiose projects to find new water for Arizona and smaller ones to conserve what the state already has.

Arizona is dropping another $30 million in to buy -- or, at least, rent -- some water rights to help stave off further drought-related cuts in what the state gets from the Colorado River. 

State officials are putting farmers in south-central Arizona on notice that the continuing drought means a "substantial cut" in deliveries of Colorado River water is expected next year.

As far as Rep. Regina Cobb, R-Kingman, is concerned, she has just begun to fight. Cobb remains steadfast against a deal that allows a farm along the Colorado River to sell millions of gallons of water to the city of Queen Creek.

After House Speaker Rusty Bowers created a kerfuffle by pushing a bill that threatened to tank Arizona’s efforts to sign onto a multi-state drought plan and craft a similar intrastate plan, he asked at the last minute for the contentious proposal to be held.

After months of drought plan negotiations and as the deadline for Arizona to produce an internal agreement on water reductions nears, the state’s water interests have nothing to show for their efforts yet.

The Arizona Supreme Court has given the go-ahead to new development in and around Sierra Vista even if it could dry up the San Pedro River -- and even if it turns out that the home buyers later end up with nothing but sand coming out of their faucets.

The head of the state’s water agency insists that, contrary to the conclusions of a legislative attorney, lawmakers can authorize his department to “forbear” the use of water from the Colorado River.

Despite months spent hashing out water proposals behind closed doors, the governor doesn’t like what he sees in legislation meant to overhaul water policy.