Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke and other experts recently briefed state legislators on some of the challenges they face in meeting Arizona’s water demands. 

Issues discussed during the second regular session of Arizona’s 53rd Legislature included desalination, which was addressed during a Jan. 4 conference organized by state Rep. Becky Nutt and moderated by state Rep. Rusty Bowers.

Buschatzke also briefed the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Bowers, and the Senate Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee, chaired by Sen. Gail Griffin. Other speakers included Clive Lipchin, Sandy Fabritz, Robert Fowley, Scott Reinert, Carlos Riva, and Chuck Cullom.

Buschatzke also spoke about the Mexico-U.S. Minute 323 agreements as well as desalination of the state’s brackish underground water, particularly in the Yuma Brackish Groundwater Mound, the West Salt River Valley, and the Winslow-Leupp Area.

Though he noted the state’s challenges, Buschatzke also pointed to the encouraging fact that Arizonans use less water today than they did in 1957.