Guest commentary: Everyone ought to do something

The Green Valley Cassandra has spoken again ("CAP is not enough," Green Valley News 2/21/07).

Like the oracle of myth, Groundwater Awareness League head Nancy Freeman's prophecies seem to be unheeded or disbelieved. Certainly, there has been little result from her indefatigable exhortations to recognize, accept, and deal with the limited and declining supply of water in Green Valley and Arizona.

Almost daily, we receive science-based warnings of long-term drought, our aquifer receding, threats of subsidence (sink holes), the Colorado River drainage drying up (the source of Central Arizona Project, increasing pollution of our wells, and the dire consequences of global warming bringing further desertification.

Yet nothing seems to happen—except suggestions that somebody (else) ought to do something, that we should have a water policy, and that we should have more meetings to discuss the issue.

All the while, there is explosive population growth, neverending development supported by seemingly limitless permits being issued for ghost water, and no thought of (heaven forefend) limiting growth and the demands on a limited resource.

Archaic Western water law and failure to correct more recent permissive regulations are two of the culprits that allow questionable allocations of water to small segments of society (especially mining and agriculture), permitting them to control over 80 percent of our water.

However, there are actions we can undertake to help mitigate the impending threats. The price of water is too low, therefore rate increases are needed to encourage conservation and help pay for many of the low-cost water-saving

projects suggested by Ms. Freeman. And most certainly we should get the CAP water before the Colorado dries up or someone else expropriates it.

So what stalls positive action? Is it greed, venality, parsimony, ignorance, lethargy, procrastination, or mere indifference? Probably a mixture of all of these.

We should write, call, e-mail our governmental representatives and bureaucrats demanding legislation and regulations that lead to real, palpable water policies that correct the deficiencies of past regulation and require more efficient usage, conservation, and allocation in line with modern conditions and needs.

When was the last time you communicated with any politician, bureaucrat, or resource manager - about anything? Everybody ought to do something.

Harrison Grathwohl, PhD, is a professor emeritus, University of Washington and California State University, Chico. He is former chair of the Wild Salmon Committee of the Sierra Club, Seattle Chapter. He has been a half-year resident of Green Valley since 1997.