24 states get $560M for cleanup of wells
The Interior Department is giving Arizona and 23 other states a total of $560 million to start cleaning high-priority derelict oil and gas wells abandoned on state and private land, the department said August 25.
Deadline looms for western states to cut Colorado River use
Cities and farms in seven U.S. states, including Arizona, are bracing for cuts this week as officials stare down a deadline to propose unprecedented reductions to their use of the water, setting up what's expected to be the most consequential week for Colorado River policy in years.
80 years later, Navajo Code Talker marks group’s early days
It's been 80 years since the first Navajo Code Talkers joined the Marines, transmitting messages using a code based on their then-unwritten native language to confound Japanese military cryptologists during World War II — and Thomas H. Begay, one of the last living members of the group, still remembers the struggle.
Bill would allow explosive fireworks in state’s largest counties
Want to light up the sky on the Fourth of July? Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, has introduced legislation to let you do that – but only if you live in Pima or Maricopa county.
Hoffman to push ban on English-only learning, expects voucher fight
The Arizona schools chief expects to have the same impact for the 2020 legislative session as last year, but she’s preparing for at least one education fight she considers as a distraction to the bigger picture.
Latinos rely heavily on Colorado River water amid plans for cutbacks
The Colorado River in Arizona is an integral part of our communities, history and cultural heritage, and our way of life. We all have a moral obligation to take care of our natural resources and protect God’s creation. As we face a future of diminished water supplies we need to ask each other and those who govern to embrace an ethic of planning and collaboration to lead us into a sustainable wat[...]
California district stalls West drought plan over lake money
The Imperial Irrigation District wants $200 million for the Salton Sea, a massive, briny lake in the desert southeast of Los Angeles created when the Colorado River breached a dike in 1905 and flooded a dry lake bed.
We must take care of the Colorado River for economic prosperity, life
The Colorado River is entrusted to us and is a vital source of water, life, and economic prosperity, but we must take care of it in return. Protecting the river and the water it provides will require us to develop resilient solutions that reduce water consumption and efficiently share the river’s waters.
Ducey signs pipeline pact with New Mexico, Sonora
"This is just a way for us to work with our neighbors and promote binational trade,'' the governor said, pointing out that Sonora already is Arizona's largest trading partner.
Ducey threatens veto of water bill that ignores his principles
Gov. Doug Ducey threatened Tuesday to veto any drought contingency plan that does not equitably divide up the pain of Arizona having less water in 2020 and eventually leads to lower water use in the state.
CAP celebrates 50 years since landmark legislation
As the Central Arizona Project celebrates the 50th anniversary of the federal act that authorized the massive water project, Arizona is still locked in complicated conversations about how the state will move forward on water issues.
Arizona maintains remote ‘catchments’ for thirsty wildlife
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been building, expanding and maintaining catchments since the 1940s, now spending thousands each year to ensure healthy wildlife populations – part of the department’s mission – even in the toughest Arizona conditions.