Statement from Arizona Chamber President and CEO Danny Seiden on the U.S. Department of the Interior's Colorado River decision

"The U.S. Department of the Interior's decision on future Colorado River operations places a deeply disproportionate burden on Arizona and fails to deliver the truly basin-wide solution the river demands. Arizona has never denied the seriousness of the river’s condition or the need for meaningful conservation. Our state has repeatedly stepped up, invested billions in water infrastructure and conservation, and put forward workable proposals to protect the system. But a plan that imposes severe, enforceable reductions on Arizona while shielding senior users and allowing other states to avoid comparable mandatory commitments is neither fair nor sustainable. Arizona's communities and job creators need a fair, durable plan that provides the certainty necessary to invest and grow. This decision does neither. 

The good news is that Arizona has planned for decades, has been more responsible with water than any other state, and is prepared to bring certainty to our business community and support continued growth. The Arizona Chamber will continue to stand with state leaders in demanding that every basin state share in the responsibility of protecting the river. 

Arizona will do its part, as it always has, but we will not accept being treated as the system's default shock absorber. Any sustainable path forward must recognize Arizona's conservation record, protect the investments our state has already made, and require measurable contributions from the entire Colorado River Basin."

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